


Their Eyes Were Watching God

by toniboonch



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Creepy, Dark, Jeronica, Multi, Murder, Riverdale, Stalking, barchie, canon based au, choni, obsessive - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22992565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toniboonch/pseuds/toniboonch
Summary: The figures moved on screen; he was waiting for them to mess up. He knew they would, they always did in some way, shape, or form.Archie Andrews: Riverdale’s resident boy next door who had a habit of leaving the neighborhood at the same time every night.Betty Cooper: sweet, gentle, and completely over her head, which was why she hid under a dark wig.Cheryl Blossom: with a life riddled with loss and illegals, her personal tragedy wasn’t far behind.And finally, Veronica Lodge: a criminal father, not so clean mother, and access to the most potent narcotic Riverdale had ever seen.That’s why he was watching them. They all had secrets. Some had been unfolded by Jughead, himself. Some had yet to come. He deemed them a threat to his perfect, storybook town; a town his father worked so hard to protect.____I like to call this one, "the camera fic"
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge
Comments: 30
Kudos: 111





	1. Initial Observation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [badritual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/badritual/gifts).



> this work is based on a prompt i saw from outruntheavalanche which was shown to me by viudanegra (@chernyyevdovy on twitter ((hi Dee!)))  
> i hope i did it justice :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is new for me.  
> this is a new style.  
> this is new content.
> 
> i'm very nervous about it. it's dark. it's creepy. it's violating and it has toxic relationship elements.  
> please take caution when reading this story. it's twisted and i will make sure to specifically put trigger warnings on chapters as we dive deeper into things. PLEASE do not read if you're sensitive.
> 
> this is not choni focused. it's jughead focused and i know that's super weird coming from a choni writer, but i truly hope you give this experimental piece a chance.
> 
> thank you.
> 
> and a massive thank you to all of the people who read this and encouraged me further on it. your support means everything to me.

The light of his screen burned his eyes, his room shrouded in darkness. He preferred it, the darkness. It kept his mind clear, free from distractions. His dad wasn’t going to be home for another few hours, a big house all to himself. He preferred it, the emptiness.

The figures moved on screen; he was waiting for them to mess up. He knew they would, they always did in some way, shape, or form.

Archie Andrews: Riverdale’s resident boy next door who had a habit of leaving the neighborhood at the same time every night.

Betty Cooper: sweet, gentle, and completely over her head, which was why she hid under a dark wig.

Cheryl Blossom: with a life riddled with loss and illegals, her personal tragedy wasn’t far behind.

And finally, Veronica Lodge: a criminal father, not so clean mother, and access to the most potent narcotic Riverdale had ever seen.

That’s why he was watching them. They all had secrets. Some had been unfolded by Jughead, himself. Some had yet to come. He deemed them a threat to his perfect, storybook town; a town his father worked so hard to protect.

Being the sheriff’s son had its perks. He was never harassed, left to his own devices. Those devices being cameras. They were tiny yet high resolution and stored in each bedroom of his classmates to catch them screwing up. If they were going to ruin their lives, he was going to make sure they didn’t take his town down with them.

Archie’s phone buzzed and his high quality figure rushed to collect his stuff, including his guitar. He was utterly predictable, his low IQ getting the better of him. He snuck off at 7pm almost every night and even later on the weekends. He was hiding something.

Jughead made note of the text in his notebook and watched as Archie left his room. His blue eyes scanned to the other figures. Betty was leaned over her desk doing homework, Veronica was painting her toes some purple color, and Cheryl was screaming into her pillow, _again_. The boy removed his beanie and ran his hand through his hair before rubbing his eyes and closing the laptop for the night.

Maybe tomorrow they would do something.

School time. Riverdale High’s halls ever crowded, but even more so by leather clad torsos. Southside High had been shut down a couple of weeks ago leaving its students to it’s squeaky clean counterpart. FP had ensured a smooth transition as a former Southsider himself. Jughead was glad his Dad worked hard to get them into the picture perfect neighborhood they lived in now. Conveniently close to both Archie and Betty. This meant he blended in with both Northsiders and Southsiders alike but stood out in neither, just as he preferred.

Jughead was a loner by definition, _his_ definition. People disappointed him so he made no effort to make any friends. People couldn’t be trusted; he trusted his mother and she left him. He did trust his Dad, for the most part, he was honest, and worked hard so Jughead admired him for that. 

So no, Jughead Jones did not have friends and he preferred it that way, but in every hero’s story there was an annoying thorn in his side who forced him to interact. Her name was Toni Topaz. A tiny Southside Serpent with obnoxious pink hair that screamed, “ _look at me!”_ and enough weed in her backpack to smoke out the whole football team. She was a smart girl so he humored her meaningless hellos. They shared history together and sat next to each other in the back so she always believed that talking to her was something Jughead _actually_ wanted to do. If he was honest, she was the only Southsider, let alone person, he tolerated; the rest of the Southsiders wreaked havoc which he didn’t blame them for. Nature vs Nurture.

His light eyes scanned the four bodies in front of him. They giggled with each other as Cheryl’s red lips moved a mile a minute, and despite the speed, the other three hung on her every word. The redhead was always seemingly unfazed by her every night screaming and crying sessions. A perfect pretender. A _liar_. She was hiding who she truly was... which was a big fucking mess. Tonight he would watch her. 

Jughead sat in front of his computer and opened it up, Cheryl would be arriving home from Vixens practice any minute now. He threw his beanie on his desk and grabbed a handful of chips, munching on them loudly. The lanky boy perked up upon seeing Cheryl’s bedroom door open and the redhead enter the pristine room. She dropped her gym bag, folders, notebooks, and her tiny red bag; a soundless thud to Jughead who had no audio on these cameras. He trusted his intellect to infer what was happening, plus it made it like a fun little puzzle. He doubted God could hear every single person on Earth, so why should he hear the four he watched? Cheryl moved to her bathroom, no doubt to take a shower. He deflated in his seat, knowing he would have to wait 15 minutes for her to be in his line of sight again. 

Archie was still at football, Betty was no doubt downstairs helping her nagging mother, and Veronica was still not home from cheer leading so Jughead twiddled his thumbs waiting for the redhead to emerge again. 

She did after his bowl of chips was gone, a red towel wrapped around her pale frame as she moved towards her walk in closet that was out of his sight. She walked from the closet, with comfy clothes in hand. She laid them on her bed and dropped her towel as she grabbed underwear from her dresser. Cheryl’s nudity didn’t phase him; he had seen all four of his subjects naked within the almost two years of surveillance he conducted. That’s not why he did this. He wasn’t… a pervert. 

Cheryl got dressed quickly and lowered herself to the space left of her bed. She began stretching, keeping her strong limbs loose and limber. Jughead scratched his eyes in frustration; Cheryl was so damn _boring_. All she did was stretch, draw, do her makeup and cry. Useless to observe any further. 

She was pathetic, using a bitchy front to hide just how sad she actually was. 

The only things truly interesting about her were her beyond tragic backstory and her obsessive tendencies. She would become fixated on certain subjects, whether they were school ones or of the people variety.

The latest catch on her web seemed to be Archie Andrews. They had become close over summer and she called him practically every night. She was clearly head over heels for the other redhead who was creepily similar to her late twin, Jason. 

For hopefully unrelated to Jason reasons, Cheryl was obsessed with Archie. Which caused quite a scandal because so was her dear friend Betty Cooper. They, of course, didn’t know of one another’s feelings, but Jughead did. Jughead knew all. 

The dark haired boy closed his laptop for the night, finding nothing of substantial value _again_. He was happy to do so; he couldn’t bear to spend his time watching the sad girl sob herself to sleep again. 

Perhaps he would focus on more important matters, like his English homework.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @kingdomtopaz


	2. Infatuation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING FOR DRUG USE!

Veronica Lodge had captured both Jughead’s primal and intellectual desires. Not only was she stunning, but she was cold and calculating. Life was a game and she played the winning hand every time. People were her pawns, moving them around the board was no issue. Everything had a purpose and she exploited it beautifully. 

Veronica even had an empire of her own to protect. She was the school’s reigning drug dealer, coming into more victims once Riverdale High ran rampant with Southsiders. 

Few people knew the identity of the drug dealer; the few being her friends who chose to ignore the life ruining hobby. Victims bought their stashes from Reggie, Midge, or Moose as they were simple suppliers. Veronica liked it like that. Her hands clean. She  _ was _ known to supply her own parties so junkies often came to her asking for leftovers, but she easily brushed them off, sending them to one of her minions. 

It made her similar to Jughead in that way, blending in yet still reaping profit. 

He found it infatuating. 

Jughead watched her most; she wasn’t only dangerous to herself, but dangerous to others. So he stood against a locker, face angled into his phone, but his eyes rapidly looking between Veronica and Cheryl as they talked. 

The object of his affection was inviting the redhead over for a mid week sleepover. Both of their mothers didn’t care where they were, although they tried to act like they did. This was a common theme between the two. 

Jughead’s mind was racing, they hadn’t had a sleepover in weeks and now Veronica was springing one up and not extending the invite to Betty. It was odd. 

What were Buttercup and Blossom planning without Bubbles? 

Jughead chuckled to himself, the kids tv show reference of the three girls was utterly perfect. He would remember to write that comparison down in his notebook for his own laugh. 

He sat in front of his computer that night watching the girls chat and laugh for the past few hours. Everything was utterly  _ normal.  _

Once again, he felt stupid. He  _ hated  _ feeling stupid.

Every damn theory he had was another dead end. He was sick of being wrong. 

He watched as their laughter died down and they looked at each other for a moment. Cheryl laughed nervously and tucked her hair behind her ear. 

_ Odd. _

Odd behavior. 

Suddenly Veronica lunged forward pulling Cheryl into a heated kiss.

Jughead jumped in his seat; he was  _ not  _ expecting that. 

He figured Cheryl would pull away disgusted, especially with her attraction to Archie. The two girls stopped for a moment, breathing. Jughead waited with his own bated breath and to his surprise once again, Cheryl kissed Veronica back. 

The makeout turned hot and heavy as they began to lay down on her bed, but suddenly Cheryl pulled back. Fear, clear as day, etched into her face. She bolted out of the room, leaving the raven haired girl panting with a smirk on her lips.

Another cold calculation by Miss Lodge.

Jughead wasn’t exactly sure what that calculation was, but she had clearly achieved something by the look on her face. 

Jughead exited out of Veronica’s camera with a shaky breath. 

He figured he would check on Betty; she was typically tamer on Wednesday evenings and he needed a calming distraction. 

She laid on her bed, a book in her hands. She turned the pages quickly, but her eyes continuously flickered around her room as if she was distracted. She tried to stay focused on her book, but gave up a few minutes later, throwing it to the side. Betty buried her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes roughly. She stood up and peeled off her light sweater, dropping it to the floor before walking towards her window slowly.

The blonde made it to her window, propping up her breasts better in her bra. She gazed out upon the house next door and no doubt the boy who lived in it. 

Her face was solemn, he probably wasn’t paying attention to her. Perhaps Cheryl was calling. 

It was sad, really; Betty had been in love with Archie for as long as Jughead could remember and he had never and probably would never want her back.

The girl seemed to adopt that mind set and Jughead perched closer to the screen, like a vulture feeding on the tender morsels of her fleshy despair. She closed the curtains and turned from them, a look only Jughead saw etched on her face. 

His lips parted in an all knowing smirk as she moved to her closet and pulled out a short, black wig. 

The alter ego he had dubbed “Dark Betty” had come to play. 

This was innocent Betty Cooper’s secret. She felt so unwanted in her life that she was a cam girl, getting validation from strangers to feel an ounce of self worth. 

She was almost as pitiful as Cheryl.  _ Almost. _

Jughead watched her for 30 minutes, the way her hands dipped down along her body for some disgusting comments through a computer screen.

He grew tired of the played out troupe and went to close his laptop when Betty rushed to her dresser, as if to give the blue eyed boy a final show. 

She pulled out a red stick, seemingly filled with the sugary sweetness of a treat. 

Betty ripped off the top and took off her wig, throwing it sloppily into her closet. 

Nosy Alice would sure find that if sweet Betty wasn’t careful. The blonde downed the powder and shut her laptop. 

Jughead watched curiously as her eyes grew wide and she flopped back on her bed, spacing out at the ceiling and moving her hands in front of her face.

_ Jingle Jangle.  _

Betty Cooper was an addict. 

Jughead lunged for his notebook, scribbling the information down as the girl continued to stare at the ceiling, her body sinking into her mattress.

Veronica got good girl Betty hooked on her supply. Jughead heard that Veronica had thrown a massive party the weekend before, none of his subjects came home that night, seemingly all passed out at The Pembrooke. Maybe that’s where sweet Betty was introduced to the powder.

Jughead had been waiting for  _ weeks  _ for another juicy piece of information on Riverdale royalty and he got two in one night. 

Maybe things were looking up for him.


	3. Hookups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for dubious consent!  
> this story is dark as i have mentioned so not everything is squeaky clean. i hope this doesn't offend any of you or deter you from reading further.  
> trigger warning for drug use as well.

Jughead followed the group of friends through the halls. They took up the whole hallway, walking shoulder to shoulder like they owned the place. People struggled to squeeze around them; it infuriated the lanky boy.

He did notice that Cheryl was not at her usual place next to Veronica’s side this glorious Tuesday morning. She had acted fairly normal around the raven haired girl last week, after their little make out, but this week was a different story. The tapes weren’t much help; a lot happened off camera much to Jughead’s disappointment.

Cheryl stood next to Archie as they walked, her shoulder brushing with his bicep. Jughead gagged to himself; they literally looked like  _ siblings _ . He wondered if their attraction weirded anyone else out. The four veered off their path and were at Betty’s locker as she grabbed her textbooks, weakly. She looks a little pale in the face as if she had a cold which could explain why she hadn’t gone into her stash since last Friday. 

Suddenly obnoxious pink hair stood in his field of view, distracting him from his observations. The fucking thorn in his side. 

“Hey, Jones,” Toni smiled, getting into her locker that was right in front of him. Out of all the lockers, of course he leaned near Toni’s.

“Toni,” he greeted shortly, hoping she would get the hint.

“How’s it goin’?”

“It’s going.”

“That’s all you ever say.”

Jughead let out a low growl, missing the conversation in front of him; Cheryl was appearing to say her goodbyes. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don’t like talking?”

Toni scoffed, grabbing her calculus book, “Ouch, Jones. Has it ever occurred to you that you’re an asshole?”

Cheryl was heading right for them.

It didn’t make sense. She had class with both Betty and Veronica next and the bell rang in less than a minute. Cheryl Blossom was  _ never  _ late. 

“Yeah, yeah. A few times,” Jughead said, waving her off. His eyes locked onto Cheryl as she passed them, a look of anguish on her face. He was used to seeing that look in the safety of her bedroom,  _ not _ at school. He curiously watched Toni’s eyes light up and drop to the redhead’s backside as she passed. The pinkette licked her lips and bit her bottom lip slightly before pulling her attention back to Jughead within an instant. 

Less superior observation from anyone other than Jughead Jones would have missed the infatuated look from the Serpent.

Toni thought Cheryl was  _ hot _ .

Jughead made a mental note to add that to his notebook once he arrived home.

“Well, uh, I’ll see you around, Jug,” Toni replied, ruffling his beanie before taking off in the same direction Cheryl went. Jughead huffed as he straightened out his hat and marched to his own class, the bell ringing above him. 

Jughead rubbed his eyes tiredly; Archie Andrews was fiddling with his guitar and writing down lyrics in his messy room. He had been at it for a few hours and seemed to have the makings of a complete song within reach. 

The beanie clad boy glanced at his phone,  _ 6:53 PM _ .

Archie was set to get a mysterious text at seven that sent him flying out the door, observing him at both school and on his laptop had not given Jughead any clue as to where the ginger boy was going.

Tonight he decided to change that. 

At 7 pm he, too, left the house in a rush, notebook in hand. He told his dad he was going out for snacks before grabbing the keys to one of his father’s cars and running out the door. Archie (and Betty) literally lived around the corner from him so catching up to the football player was beyond easy. 

Jughead trailed him; he could literally be on Archie’s bumper and the ginger wouldn’t even know he was being followed. 

They drove for about 15 minutes and Jughead continued to drive passed Archie as he parked in front of this cottage like house. 

Jughead did a u-turn and watched as Archie rushed inside, a wide smile on his face. The beanie clad boy wrote down the address in his notebook and drove home, hoping he could find out who lived there. 

FP was disappointed when Jughead returned home with no snacks. He gave his dad a quick hug claiming he forgot his wallet and the venture was no longer worth it before rushing back upstairs. 

Yes, being the sheriff’s son had its perks. Not only did he have access to surveillance systems, but he also had access to the police database. It was easy to link it to his computer, laughably easy. He would find out who owned that house in no time.

Jughead smiled widely at his intellect as the owner of the address popped up.

Miss Geraldine Grundy.

The school music teacher. 

Archie talked about her often to his three friends and now with this information it was  _ annoyingly obvious _ that he was sleeping with her. He was just a couple weeks shy of being 18 so Jughead wondered why Grundy would risk jail time. She could literally wait until Archie was 18 and freshly graduated before she sunk her predatory claws into the poor boy. Perhaps she liked them young?

So that was Archie Andrews secret; sleeping with a teacher. 

Jughead laughed to himself; that was a very Archie thing to do. The dark haired boy wondered how Cheryl would take the soul crushing news. How would Betty? 

Archie was stringing along his friends and Jughead wondered how long it would be until emotions bubbled over. 

Jughead exited the database and made note of Archie’s relationship in his book. He then clicked over to Veronica’s camera, choosing to watch his desires for the night.

She was lounging on her bed, in a robe from either a shower or bath, and delving through a horrid gossip magazine. 

She looked stunning, free of makeup, her dark hair coming down in natural damp waves. Jughead swallowed roughly and shook his head. 

Now was not the time to gawk. 

Veronica slapped the magazine down with a deep breath and removed herself from her bed, he watched wide eyed as she tugged her robe off of herself, the fluffy material now hanging on the back of her closet door. 

She was naked, he could see every curve of her. He wanted to look away, but he couldn’t. Her tanned skin was captivating to him.

He knew he wasn’t a pervert when it came to the other three. He had barely seen both Betty and Archie naked, and Cheryl he had probably seen the most. Their bodies didn’t excite him. 

Cheryl was an attractive girl; toned limbs, amazing ass, pale skin just asking to be kissed.

But no, he wasn’t a pervert.

Cheryl Blossom didn’t send his heart into a beating frenzy, didn’t dilate his pupils, didn’t make his palms sweat. 

She was nice to look at on her good days, but Veronica Lodge was everything and more.

So if he was a vile, peeping Tom.... it was for her  _ only. _

The next day at school was an interesting one.

Betty looked like death; sunken face, cracked lips. How did Alice not notice the state she was in? 

And even more interesting matters; Cheryl Blossom and Toni ‘The Thorn’ Topaz were… hanging out. 

_ What the fuck? _

He had to ask her about it in history...

“Hey Toni,” he said grabbing his usual seat next to her.

“Jughead actually initiating a conversation? Proud of you,” Toni joked, tucking a wild pink lock behind her ear. 

“Um, thanks,” Jughead said, he paused for a moment thinking of how to ask her about Cheryl.

“So here’s an idea I had, dude. Joining the River Vixens,” Toni nodded, eyes wide.

Jughead almost choked on his spit, how high was she right now?

“Really? A stoner like yourself?” He asked, once he composed himself.

“Hey, that’s a nasty rumor, Jones. I  _ only _ partake on weekends. And I dunno... it seems fun, I could add it to my applications too.”

Toni Topaz was so willing to give information. How could such a smart girl be so dumb and trusting?

“Aren’t Veronica and Cheryl on the team?”

Toni raised an eyebrow at him, “So?”

“Cheryl hates Serpents… Veronica is just-”

“Cheryl’s not so bad. You gotta stop reading into the rumors, that’s the real drug epidemic here!” Toni said, with a pointed finger.

Now there Toni was being smart again. Rumors were meaningless, yet he based most of his information on them. He used the rumors, combined with his observations, to create the storylines he had now. They weren’t entirely useless, but they weren’t entirely helpful either. The dark haired boy wondered if there was any way to make things more  _ solid. _

Betty was gripping onto Veronica for dear life; seemingly pleading with the dark haired girl. She looked like  _ shit _ . Even worse than this morning. They were arguing quietly, making their way through the packed halls as the school day was over. 

Cheryl and Toni were also glued to each other’s sides; the redhead laughing gleefully at something Toni said. The pinkette was an animated talker, throwing her limbs around with no regard for others. Another annoying thing about her. 

The duo of girls left the school together; Betty getting into Veronica’s BMW and Toni getting into Cheryl’s Impala.

He would watch them both tonight. 

Jughead wracked his brain as he drove home. Why was Betty so damn sick? Her complexion was ghostly, terrifying really. Like she was about to drop any second and the way she clung onto Veronica, pleading with her…

_ Jingle Jangle _ .

The blonde was  _ truly hooked!  _ She was begging her friend for a new supply and Veronica seemed to refuse, ignoring that she had gotten her sweet friend addicted.

Betty was going through withdrawals this whole week because she ran out on  _ Friday _ , the last day Jughead had seen the blonde indulge.

Everything was piecing together for that situation, but Cheryl and Toni still made no sense to him. They had never interacted besides the lust filled looks from the shorter girl. Now suddenly they were buddy buddy and Toni was thinking of shedding her jacket for pom-poms? 

Jughead raced into the kitchen, grabbing snacks galore before rushing up the stairs of his empty house.

He had, for sure, beaten both girls to their destinations. The Pembrooke and Thornhill were both far away from the high school. He decided to organize his food alphabetically while he waited. 

_ Doritos. _

_ Lays. _

_ Licorice. _

_ M&Ms. _

_ Veronica. _

Veronica? 

The dark haired girl threw open her door, basically dragging Betty in by her signature ponytail. She was  _ seething _ .

Jughead made a mental note to write anger issues in his notebook. He opened the Doritos, chomping loudly as Betty sat on Veronica’s bed while the owner of said bed, paced in front of her.

Cheryl and Toni came into view on the other open screen; Jughead had positioned the pop ups next to each other for easy viewing.

They were quite the opposite of the other two girls, talking and laughing as if they had been friends for years.

He glanced back over to Veronica and Betty, they were arguing again. Yelling. It was evident in the way the tendons on their necks tensed, and how their mouths moved. Betty shoved Veronica back wearily and darted to her dresser, ripping drawers out.

The dark haired girl jumped on her knocking them both to the floor as they wrestled around. Jughead swallowed roughly, eyes glancing back to Cheryl and Toni who were happily lounging on her bed, laughing at something on Cheryl’s laptop. 

Veronica pulled herself off of Betty, slamming the blonde into the ground. She straightened her dress and ran to her closet, pulling out a singular pixie stick looking package. 

Betty hopped up instantly despite the brutality of Veronica, reaching out for the stick. Veronica closed the distance between them, they were uncomfortably close. Basically breathing in each other’s exhales. Jughead tore into a piece of licorice, swallowing roughly. The two girls talked briefly and Veronica  _ kissed _ Betty.

Jughead almost choked.

She had kissed Cheryl last week and now Betty?

Jughead knew that the drug dealer was not gay, he had briefly seen her enjoy herself with both Reggie Mantle and Moose Mason in that very bedroom. Why was she suddenly pinning after these girls?

The make out progressed quickly and they stripped themselves of their clothes. Veronica tore open the jingle jangle stick and laid down on her bed, pouring the powder between the valley of her breasts. Betty climbed over her, hungrily licking the powder off her. 

He watched as Betty’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she flipped next to the raven haired girl breathing heavily as the high hit her wildly fast. 

Veronica then towered over the blonde, kissing down her stomach in her faded state. She threw her friend’s underwear off her pale legs. Veronica’s tongue instantly made contact with Betty’s center and the girl arched her back in response. 

Jughead… wasn’t a pervert… he wasn’t. 

Yet, he couldn’t help but watch them. 

Veronica’s perfect backside on display for him to see. It was a gift. He felt himself grow hard and groaned; it was never supposed to be sexual. 

He was not interested in Betty in the slightest. Only Veronica, it was only ever Veronica. Watching her bring druggy Betty to orgasm with her tongue had his skin on fire and his jeans all too tight.

He glanced over at Cheryl and Toni again; they were settled in her bed this time, instead of on top. A large, awkward gap between them. 

Jughead closed their camera down and continued to watch the other two girls. Veronica was now on top of Betty, grinding her hips into the taller girl. She tossed her head back, as Betty stared at her, dazed. Not fully appreciating the woman on top of her. 

Jughead panted heavily, letting his mind wander. He would do anything to be Betty Cooper in this situation, just a fully coherent version. He watched as Veronica came to her own release. Her hands were holding Betty’s sides as she shook, collapsing forward onto the blonde and immediately rolling off of her with a heavy breath. 

Jughead closed his laptop, running a hand through his hair. His heart beat wildly in his chest. He just watched Veronica and Betty  _ hookup _ . 

He dove for his notebook scribbling down the instance, making sure to discuss Veronica’s anger issues. 

He merely scribbled down that Cheryl and Toni hung out, not caring about what they did.

His whole body ached for a release of his own, but he kept writing. Sloppy lettering filling the page as the images flooded his mind. 

Jughead needed a cold shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @kingdomtopaz


	4. Daddy Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for blood, violence, abuse and murder.

The Thorn had wiggled her way into a new side. The side was owned by the HBIC, Student Body President and Cheer Captain, Cheryl Blossom.

Jughead rolled his eyes as the pinkette was welcomed with open arms to the group. Cheryl and Toni were always together, they seemed to become really close friends in a matter of a week. Though, the group dynamics hadn’t changed since Toni’s addition and Betty and Veronica’s hook up.

Jughead had begun to realize things over the course of the last week:

One: that Veronica took what she wanted and in that moment she wanted Betty.

Two: Betty was so fixated on getting her fix that having sex with Veronica was just part of it. This proved that she would do anything to get the drug with little to no care for her own well being.

Three: Cheryl had zero romantic feelings for Archie despite what he had previously thought. They were  _ friends _ . Cheryl didn’t look at him the same way Jughead looked at Veronica, or how Betty looked at Archie, or even how Toni looked at Cheryl. 

Four: Jughead realized he was wrong a lot. It bruised his ego, lowering him on his self built pedestal, weakening his God complex. 

He watched the group laugh, Betty giving a playful shove to Veronica who didn’t join in on the chuckle. She looked pissed beyond belief. The shove caused her field of vision to move outside of herself and the group for a moment and land right on  _ him _ .

Jughead quickly averted his eyes and turned to walk away. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Veronica snapped, pushing through the group to get to him.

“What are you talking about?” He asked lowly. His gaze dropped to his shoes. 

“You’re such a creep, Jughead.”

“Back off, Ronnie,” Toni growled, coming in between them. 

“Oh, go kiss Cheryl’s ass some more, Antoinette,” Veronica snapped back, they looked at each other darkly.

“Just leave him alone,” Toni said clenching her jaw.

Veronica sighed, “Fine, defend the  _ creeper _ … fucking bitch.” She turned on her heels and walked away, Toni clenched her fists as if she wanted to punch Veronica in the mouth. She glanced to her right, making eye contact with Cheryl, and she visibly relaxed. 

“You good, dude?” Toni asked, turning to Jughead. The other three watched close by but didn’t dare move closer. 

“I’m good.”

“Cool, sorry about Ronnie. She’s having some  _ serious  _ daddy issues which doesn’t give her an excuse to be a complete cu-,” Toni chuckled softly as she stopped herself, running a hand through her hair. “I’ll see you around, Jug,” she finished, slapping his shoulder before turning to walk back to her new found group. 

Toni may be annoying and up in his business, but for the first time  _ ever _ he was actually thankful she opened her mouth. She defended him and also gave him something new to look out for. 

_ Daddy Issues _ .

It wasn’t a secret that Veronica’s father, Hiram, was a criminal. The whole reason her mother and her packed up from lovely New York and moved to Riverdale was to escape him. 

Hiram found out, of course. 

Jughead wondered why these issues were surfacing; Hiram was stuck in jail.

Right?

He only watched Veronica that night, the others’ tapes not even open on his screen.

The raven haired girl was clearly in distress, pacing around her room with a glass of dark liquid in hand.

Whisky? Bourbon? Rum?

Something strong by the look on her face after every drink. 

Suddenly her bedroom door opened and a man entered.

_ Hiram Lodge. _

Her eyes filled with fear and anger as he offered her a bouquet of exquisite looking flowers; she downed the rest of her drink and refused them.

Again, he offered them. She slapped them out of his hand and began screaming, clearly not wanting to be in his presence. 

Hiram calmly watched his daughter’s outburst, silent and stoic.

His demeanor unnerved Jughead and he could see why Veronica was acting out at school. She was  _ freaking _ out. 

Hiram stepped towards his daughter and gripped her hand tightly. She began thrashing in his embrace when he brought her into for a hug. She pushed away from him and spit in his face. He reached out and slapped her,  _ hard _ , before wiping the expulsion away.

Jughead stood from his seat, breathing heavily. Hiram hit her and there was nothing he could do. He felt powerless from his God-like point of view. He wondered if God felt as weak as he did.

Veronica sat on the edge of her bed, holding her face. She began sobbing. 

Jughead wanted to rip his hair out as he screamed into his hands.

Her beautiful cheek was slightly raised, making her cheek bone appear rounder. The discoloration was easily covered by whatever makeup products girls used to hide that stuff. 

Her friends circled around her, hushed whispering in the crowded hallways. Jughead stood close but not  _ too  _ close, once again missing pieces of the convo. 

She could have been telling them about her altercation with her dad or they could be talking about a test they took.

Jughead would never know. 

He wanted to hold her, tell her everything would be okay. 

Betty brushed her fingertips along Veronica’s cheek, a frown on her face. 

Toni clenched her fists before crossing her arms.

Cheryl looked down at her feet; traumatic memories of her father’s own hand seemingly crossing her mind.

Archie clenched his jaw. 

So they  _ were _ talking about what Hiram did.

Veronica took a step back from them and shook her head, fire in her eyes. She turned and walked away from the group, her bag pulled close to her and her heels clicking loudly. Jughead followed casually behind, wondering what she was up to. 

“Stalking much?” Veronica’s voice rang out as she stopped mid stride once they rounded a corner. Jughead continued his shuffle, easily moving passed her on the opposite side of the hall. He pretended to be absorbed in his phone to avoid her wrath. “Uh, I’m talking to you.”

“Hm, what?” Jughead asked, playing dumb as he turned to face her with an arched eyebrow.

“What do you want, Jughead?” She asked, stomping up to him. He swallowed roughly, captured under her stoic gaze. It was much like her father’s. She lowered her voice, “Drugs? If you need a hookup or something, go talk to Reggie.”

He blinked at her slowly, “Um, no?”

“Then get the fuck away from me, weirdo,” Veronica spit, pushing passed him. They walked in separate directions.

The next day at school was uncomfortable. Veronica watched  _ him _ . She stalked him around, making pointed eye contact, watching as he got into his locker, just always fucking watching. Jughead wouldn’t admit it, but it made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to being the subject, only the observer, and he felt his self worth shrinking as his paranoia grew.

The negative attention from Veronica didn’t stop for the rest of the week, she was always staring. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, he wondered if his subjects felt the same. He wondered if they noticed him watching. He wondered if he was a  _ creep _ . 

It was messing with his head, big time. 

Jughead wanted her, he always had. He wanted her looks, just not like this. He wanted her mouth, he wanted her touch, he wanted more. These weren’t loving looks and he was far from a kind word, let alone her lips on his. The high probability of never having her… it made him sick. 

Maybe he was sick?

No, it was merely an experiment. A form of protection for the town. Something he could write novels about later. It wasn’t… real. His feelings weren’t real. It was merely infatuation. A simple teenage hormone induced feeling… it wasn’t… it wasn’t real.

Yet, Veronica’s dagger like stare was real and it hurt. It hurt so fucking bad. For something that wasn’t meant to be real it  _ hurt. _

Jughead stopped watching them. He stopped following at school. He disconnected the cameras. He left them alone. 

Veronica’s eyes left him soon after; this rendered him filled with terror embedded deep within his chest.

It was like she  _ knew. _

He felt himself falling from his pedestal; he had  _ nothing _ . He was so out of control, so ignorant to the most dangerous  _ things _ Riverdale had seen... that he had ever seen. 

It was tearing the boy up, leaving him a shell of himself. 

Weeks went by and he spiraled deeper and deeper. He was lacking connection, he wanted connection. He wanted to  _ feel _ again. The cameras made him feel… as if he was  _ actually  _ important.

Veronica’s eyes were off of the lanky boy, but what he would give to have them back. The stern looks were better than being invisible. 

Jughead always thought he wanted to be invisible, he thought it would help him survive. He realized a new thing pretty quickly: he wanted to be  _ seen  _ by  _ her _ .

The loudspeaker crackled above him as he pulled a notebook from his locker, a familiar voice filled the hallways. It was Cheryl.

“ _ As Riverdale High’s first openly  _ **_lesbian_ ** _ student body president, I have decided to begin our first ever LGBTQIA alliance club. This will be a safe space for all…” _

Cheryl’s voice faded away as Jughead’s heartbeat pounded in his ears.

So out of control. 

Lost weeks of monitoring and Cheryl was suddenly a  _ lesbian?  _

The redhead emerged in the hallway, exiting the office after her speech. People gave her looks, some encouraging and some blank. She clearly didn’t care; she walked with a new chip on her shoulder. His blue eyes followed her right into the arms of Toni Topaz, their lips connecting in a sweet kiss. 

Lost weeks of monitoring and Cheryl was suddenly a lesbian  _ and  _ dating Toni, of all fucking people.

The Thorn had found her Flower. 

Her  _ Rose _ .

Jughead could hardly catch his breath and he ran from the hall, darting into the bathroom to splash cold water onto his burning face. 

This insanity had to stop, he had to regain his control. He had to observe again. He  _ had  _ to or he risked losing his damn mind. The boy wasn’t about to let that happen. He was far too intelligent to be locked in a foggy headspace.

Tonight he would watch them  _ all. _

He wiped the light layer of dust off of his laptop. He hadn’t sat at his desk in  _ weeks.  _ He opened the lid, the machine whirring to life as it always did. Jughead typed in his passcode and opened the cameras up, turning each of them on again. It took a moment for them to respond and get in focus, but he was patient. 

He  _ needed  _ this.

It was as if he was Betty… finally getting his fix of Jingle Jangle. The head rush and quick heartbeat. He could see why the blonde drowned herself in the powder; the high was invigorating.

This was his drug and he didn’t intend to give it up. 

Jughead checked Cheryl first, not to his surprise Toni was also in her room. He felt stupid for not realizing the signs; now that Cheryl was out… everything made sense. The rumors of her getting  _ unwantedly _ handsy with the since moved away, Josie McCoy, in the locker room, rushing out scared after Veronica kissed her, yet pulling Toni in soon after. It made  _ sense _ . Jughead felt a slight twinge of…  _ pride? _ He knew how truly miserable the redhead was and seeing her smiling at Toni, who sat on her bed, made him slightly…  _ happy? _

Feelings. 

Something Jughead didn’t participate in often. He didn’t even like Cheryl or Toni, yet he couldn’t help it. He wanted to feel important, like an all powerful being observing the people below him, but instead he felt actual emotion. It unnerved him and he just hoped this new thing with annoying Toni would end Cheryl’s many sobbing nights he endured out of curiosity. He hoped it would end the utter pathetic mess she was, well at least until school was done and the couple inevitably broke up. There was  _ no way _ the opposites would stay together. 

The boy removed his beanie, throwing it on his bed behind him. He twisted his hair in his finger as he glanced over to Betty’s camera. The blonde was on her bed doing homework. 

Nothing out of the ordinary except for the look on her face. It  _ wasn’t  _ a Jingle Jangle space out, he had seen her in that state  _ plenty  _ of times to know what that looked like. 

She chewed on her bottom lip, deep in thought. It looked as if she was wrestling with something. Jughead pulled himself closer to the screen, willing the blonde to give him  _ anything _ . 

As if compelled by his will, she pulled herself from her bed and walked to her closet. She pulled out the black wig and Jughead watched intently as she stared at it and then at herself in the mirror. 

She was making a decision here and now. 

Dark Betty or just Betty. 

Jughead secretly hoped it wasn’t the latter option. Dark Betty had so much potential and she wasted her on Internet pervs. Those who watched people through cameras like  _ psychos. _ It was disgusting in his opinion. He would never go so low. 

Betty moved the wig in her hands nervously as she blinked out tears. The blonde turned and threw it in the trash with a determined look. She flopped back on her bed, returning to her studies without a second thought. 

Jughead let out a shaky breath and leaned back in his seat. Betty really just gave that dark part of her up. She removed a piece of herself and threw it in the trash like it was nothing. He nodded in approval at the teary eyed blonde. Maybe she was stronger than either of them thought. 

Next was Archie. 

His room was cleaner than normal. He sat shirtless on his bed, diligently working to replace the strings on his guitar. New tunes would be played on those strings. The redhead looked more content than normal, his phone buzzed, but he didn’t bother looking at the text.

New strings for new tunes. 

Out with the old, in with the new. 

Jughead realized something new yet again: all of them were starting over tonight. Once he returned to his old habits they moved on from theirs. Cheryl was happy and free. Dark Betty was no more. Archie seemingly cut ties with the pedophilic music teacher. 

That means Veronica, too, was turning a new leaf. 

Maybe these people… who he had made monsters in his own mind… weren’t so bad?

He checked Veronica’s camera last; she was on her bed in her glasses, reading a thick, leather bound book. Jughead watched her turn page after page when she suddenly jumped slightly, head turning to her door. 

Hiram entered and Jughead held his breath. 

The man seemed to be trying to coax her close with an open hand and calm demeanor. Veronica shriveled away at the extension as she stood from her bed. She pointed and began yelling at him to get out. 

He quickly advanced on her and she fell back into her nightstand, her right hand reaching back for her lamp. He talked slowly to her as she cried and turned her head away from him. 

Hiram straightened up, adjusting his suit before turning to leave his terrified daughter. 

Veronica’s face changed instantly, a dark gleam in her eye. She pulled the lamp up and out from the plug and with a slight scream, depicted by her open mouth and extraneous looking effort, she cracked it over the back of her father’s head and he fell to the floor in front of her.

The raven haired girl breathed heavily, her patterns matching Jughead’s who watched in shock. 

Veronica stood over her father, no emotion graced her beautiful face and Jughead felt a tingling shiver go throughout his body as he smiled at her. His obsession lifted the lamp again and thrusted the solid piece into her father’s head over and over. 

His skull began to concave as blood pooled from him, splattering everywhere with each swing. Veronica had a blank expression as she did it; blood splattering up onto her own beautiful face. 

Her father’s blood. 

Hiram’s limp,  _ dead  _ body shook with every strong hit from his prized daughter. 

She killed him.

Veronica Lodge was a murderer. 

Jughead realized something: 

One: he wasn’t supposed to see this.

Two: he was hopelessly head over heels for the blood covered girl. 

Three: this  _ was  _ her new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @kingdomtopaz


	5. The Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for mention of violence and blood at the beginning and then mention of drug use at the end!

Veronica was clearly plagued by what she had done to her father. It wasn’t the  _ murder _ itself, but the idea of being caught that darkened her under eyes and made her jump when anyone gently graced her soft looking skin. 

Hermione had come into Veronica’s room that night, shrieking at what she discovered. Her daughter didn’t hide what she had done and spoke to her mother calmly, but, no doubt, with venom in her words. Hermione was a weak individual and easily succumbed to her daughter’s charm, much like she had with Hiram, and soon the high class woman was on her hands and knees scrubbing up blood as Veronica put what was left of her father’s skull into a garbage bag. The Lodge women left together, taking the body to dump God knows where. 

Yet, Veronica was still a mess. It was strange to see her so  _ vulnerable _ . 

“Cheryl’s the best,” Toni gushed, snapping Jughead away from his thoughts about the raven haired girl. 

“I bet,” he replied quietly. They were sitting in history and were supposed to work on a worksheet. Toni’s was already completed while Jughead hadn’t moved to touch his.

“She’s so  _ kind _ to me. She may have this tough exterior, but she’s so  _ giving _ .”

“Yep.”

“Dude, are you even listening?” Toni chuckled. 

“Honestly, no.”

“I’m trying to talk to you as a friend here.”

_ A friend? _

He swallowed roughly, “Friend?”

“Well yeah… aren’t we?” Toni asked with a raised eyebrow; he opened his mouth to answer when he saw Veronica pass by the open door to the classroom, heels clicking. He pulled himself from his seat, rushing out after her. Toni called out for him while the teacher ignored his disappearance. 

“Jughead, what the fuck?” Veronica growled, her eyes were bloodshot as if she had been crying, or smoking some strong weed, but he doubted it was the latter. 

“You okay?” He asked, slowly raising his hand to touch her shoulder.

“You are such a fucking weirdo, I am  _ fine _ . Stop fucking following me before I ask Reggie or Archie to hurt you. Be wise here and  _ walk away _ ,” she said, slapping his hand down.

“No.”

“No?”

“Fuck, no. Something’s wrong and you don’t get to be a spoiled rich  _ bitch _ and push me away or call me demeaning names like you always do. I’m trying to help, let me  _ help _ ,” he said sternly, Veronica’s face softened at his words and she grabbed his jean jacket pulling him into an aggressive kiss. Jughead stiffened on impact, but soon fell into it and, all too soon, she pushed him away.

“I see you watching me,” she whispered.

“W-wha-?”

“You’re always watching. I  _ like  _ it. Maybe you’re not so bad after all,” she smiled, turning to walk away.

Jughead returned to class both dazed and confused, Veronica Lodge had kissed him after he called her a _spoiled rich bitch_ … not his finest work, mind you. But she _still_ kissed him. His fingers brushed over his lips as he sat down at his desk. Toni eyed him closely, “Where’d you go, Jones?”

“Bathroom,” he lied, looking down at his desk to discover his worksheet was filled out in scribbly handwriting that was oddly similar to his own. He raised an eyebrow to see Toni flash him a wink as the bell rang, signaling the end of class.

“Thanks, Toni.”

“What are friends for?” The pinkette replied, throwing a wave before she left the classroom.

What were they for? Jughead had no idea, he never had any. Toni was always there, always around, but he didn’t consider them closer than surface greetings. She seemed to think otherwise, which only benefited him.

What were kisses for? Jughead had no idea, he never received any. Veronica was always there, always around because he made sure of it. He wasn’t sure what the kiss meant. He had seen Veronica kiss plenty of people. Reggie, Moose, Cheryl, Betty, and probably more that he hadn’t witnessed. What were her  _ intentions _ ? How did the kiss benefit her?

He had wanted her lips on his, it was the only feeling he truly allowed himself. The feeling of desire, the feeling of care. He chalked it up to infatuation, but it was more.

He wanted more. He had probably said it a million times, but  _ God  _ he wanted more.

Jughead also wasn’t stupid, far from really. He knew every move she made was calculated. She also wasn’t acting like herself; the kiss could have been a  _ fluke _ , a mixed signal, not  _ real.  _

That fluke carried into the next day much to the beanie wearing boy’s surprise. He closed his locker only to be met by deep brown eyes surrounded by maroon. 

“Veronica?”

“Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third, would you care to accompany me to Pop’s after school?”

“How do you even know my full name?” He gulped.

“Ah-ah-ah, I asked you a question first,” she scolded, waving her finger at him.

His whole body screamed at him to say yes, but he choked out, “I-I don’t have any money.”

“I’ll pay.”

_ Free food.  _ Fuck. His biggest weakness, second only to the girl standing in front of him.

“Sure,” he replied, trying to keep his cool.

“Great,” she smiled. “See you later.”

Jughead practically shook in his seat as Veronica sipped her chocolate shake. They were waiting for their food, which consisted of a grilled chicken sandwich with a house salad and a burger and fries with all of the fixings, to arrive.

“How are your classes going?” Veronica asked, breaking the silence. She didn’t seem at all bothered by the awkwardness that clung to the air.

“Fine,” Jughead responded shortly.

Veronica rolled her eyes, “So you can call me a  _ bitch  _ in the hallways at school, but can’t carry a conversation? Antoinette was correct about you being  _ quiet _ , but I didn’t expect you to be meek as well.”

Jughead’s eyes practically bulged out of his head as he choked on his vanilla shake; the raven haired girl watched him calmly, waiting for the coughs to subside. 

“I have to apologize for that…” he said slowly. 

She smiled at him, “Apology accepted.”

“Just like that?” He swallowed.

“Just like that,” she affirmed, snapping her fingers for added emphasis. 

“Can I ask why-”

“Why I kissed you… why we’re here?” Jughead nodded, his straw finding its place in his mouth again. Veronica let out a sigh, brushing her hair over her shoulders, “You really tell it how it is. I feel as though you see people for who they truly are. You aren’t afraid to have opinions; I read your pieces in the school newspaper before you declined to continue it junior year and the whole thing went to shit. They were good, Jughead. You had  _ influence  _ and  _ power _ . I just find you so… charming, to say the least. You noticed I wasn’t feeling my best and you came to help. Gave me the attention I needed. It also helps that you’re cute. So, thank you.”

“Oh… um…”

“Just accept the compliment.”

“Thank you, and you’re welcome. I...I would like to do this again.”

“Agreed,” Veronica responded, their plates of food finally being set down on the table.

Jughead watched her that night, she seemed more relaxed than she had in previous days. Her routine was fairly normal. She did some homework before pouring herself a glass of red wine and disappearing to take a bath. Wine meant bath. Jughead knew that. Once she had disappeared, he checked on her friends.

Cheryl leaned close to her girlfriend, running a simmering powder over her eyelid. They giggled with each other. Toni always seemed to be over at the redhead’s house; Jughead couldn’t stand that level of invasion by anyone while Cheryl seemed to crave it. The taller girl swiped Toni’s lips with a lipstick while Toni smirked at her. She seemed to scold the pinkette before Toni grabbed the back of her neck and pulled Cheryl in for a sloppy kiss. Red found its way all over both of their mouths and Cheryl laughed loudly when Toni escalated the kiss further and tugged her towards the bed. They seemed happy. Jughead turned off their camera, not interested in watching them progress further.

Archie was sobbing in his room; his guitar was smashed to pieces and his song book ripped up. He appeared to be utterly heartbroken, no doubt by the music teacher. Jughead thought the redheaded boy had given her up. He ignored her texts. He never left to see her. 

Betty watched him from her window, concern on her face. They clearly owned drapes, but they were never in effect. The blonde grabbed her phone from her nightstand, rushing back over to the window. She scrolled through her phone before lifting it to her ear. Archie picked up the phone on his nightstand and looked out his own window.

They talked for some time, smiles taking over both of their faces. Tears from the brown eyed boy had since stopped. They said their goodbyes, when the clock neared midnight, and hung up the phone. 

Archie smiled down into his lap and began to clean up the mess he had caused. 

Betty reached into her drawer, pulling out the white powder. She studied the stick for a moment, turning it in her hands. The blonde narrowed her eyebrows, turned to look back at the boy next door before slipping the candy like substance back into her drawer. 

It was a time of change for all of them and what a big change it was.

Their new beginnings were leading them to the changes they had displayed tonight.

Their changes were much like the town they lived in; seemingly innocent, seemingly good. 

But a lot like their town, nothing was as it seemed. Nothing was ever safe. Nothing was ever pure, no matter how hard they tried to keep it that way.

Doubt, hatred, paranoia, especially that of oneself, plagues all. 

Even God.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @kingdomtopaz on twitter
> 
> leave a kudos and comment please!


	6. Boyfriend Material?

Jughead looked at his feet as he moved through the halls, a new weight on his arm. Veronica was by his side, her arm slung through his, holding him in her vice like grip. The lanky boy felt panic in his chest, complete and utter panic. People were  _ looking  _ at him.  _ Noticing _ him. He suddenly  _ existed. _

Veronica was not bad company, far from. She was funny and understanding. She thought  _ he _ was funny and understanding. 

Veronica was not bad company, but the attention  _ was _ . 

When the bell rang signaling that school was over, Jughead felt relief wash over him. He quickly exited the school, Veronica following not far behind. 

“Everything alright?” She pondered, circling in front of him to stop his movements when they had reached the parking lot.

“Yeah,” Jughead replied.

“Don’t lie to me. I know you,” Veronica deadpanned, crossing her arms. Jughead swallowed roughly. She  _ knew  _ him?

“People just… look at me when I’m with you.”

“Of course they do, you’re with  _ me.” _

“I don’t know if I like it,” he responded with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Veronica suddenly gripped the sides of his flannel, pulling him into a thought melting kiss. “You’re far too paranoid, Jones.”

Maybe he was.

Suddenly the core five became six. Jughead was thrust into interacting with his subjects; he didn’t know what to say,  _ ever _ . Toni talked to him the most, due to their ‘ _ history _ ’; a corny joke she  _ annoyingly  _ laughed about for a good three minutes. Cheryl also tried to interact with him; he didn’t know if it was because of Toni or if she was  _ actually  _ nice. He doubted the second thought, a girl that fucked up couldn’t be  _ nice _ . She mainly seemed to interact by touch; shoulder, hand, clothing adjustments. Jughead didn’t like being touched, especially by her, but it was better than listening to her rapid fire sentences. The red on her lips gave him a headache. Betty was nice too, but didn’t care to know much about him despite being involved with her best friend. Archie, on the other hand, was very invested in Jughead's life. He seemed to genuinely like talking to the beanie clad boy and even tried to get him to come over for dinner a few times which he declined. Apparently Archie’s father, Fred, and Jughead’s own dad were close during high school and up until Jughead’s mother left. That’s when FP really threw himself into work, ignoring his prior relationships, even the one with his son. Jughead preferred to be ignored. He wanted to be invisible again, he wanted the core five to not care anymore. The fact that they tried so hard to pretend that they did sent shivers up his spine. 

It made Jughead sick.

He was sick everyday. 

He only cared about Veronica, but she cared about her stupid friends. He didn’t want to fake nice. He didn’t want to ask them about their lives as if he knew nothing about them. The only one he genuinely didn’t know anything about was Toni. She was private. He doubted anyone, besides Cheryl, knew her middle name. 

Jughead found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable with the new attention. He was losing his cool.

“So Jughead, what do you like to do for enjoyment? We all seem to have hobbies, but you haven’t mentioned yours,” Cheryl asked one day at lunch.

He sat moodily hunched over his cafeteria hamburger, “Don’t really have one.”

“Really?” Cheryl asked, raising an eyebrow. “Not one?”

He adjusted his beanie and sat in silence; they  _ all  _ gave him strange looks, even Veronica. He felt panic rear its ugly head in his chest. They were all  _ fucking watching _ . 

“Jug, why aren’t you answering?” Veronica said, pulling her lips into a tight line. It was clear to him that she was angry, but no one else seemed to notice. Either she was getting better at hiding her anger issues or they just chose to ignore the outbursts. He blinked harshly at her words and stood from the table, taking off. 

He heard her heels behind him. Of course, she was chasing him. A big dramatic spectacle. 

“Jughead, what the hell?” She called out into the empty halls. 

“Leave me alone,” Jughead mumbled back; a small yet strong hand gripped his arm. She shoved him into an empty, dim classroom to their right.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting  _ weird _ ,” she said.

_ Weird.  _

“I am  _ weird _ . I’m a  _ fucking  _ loner. My life isn’t supposed to play out this way.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Jughead? Aren’t you happy with this? With popularity? With friends? With  _ me _ ?”

“ _ No _ . It’s not supposed to be this way. I was  _ never  _ supposed to be playing the game. I’m supposed to be observing… like… like God.”

“Like God? Jug, what are-”

He pushed passed her and out of the door, ending their conversation and his school day early. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @kingdomtopaz on twitter
> 
> leave a kudos and comment! :)


	7. Boyfriend Material

Jughead watched Veronica that night. She was sobbing. She was sobbing over him. Her head was buried in her hands, back hunched over as it shook from her cries.

A new thing filled Jughead’s chest, something he had never quite felt before.  _ Guilt _ . The boy often got away free when it came to his actions; no one ever held him accountable, mainly because his actions were often unbeknownst to the people he committed them against. 

This was  _ different _ . This  _ hurt _ . So much fucking pain. 

Jughead had never in his life felt this many emotions and he had felt them all this year alone. He felt like the  _ Grinch _ , his tiny heart growing too big for his chest.

He watched Veronica cry, tears pricking in his own eyes. He was crying, he  _ never _ cried. He had to  _ apologize _ , yet another thing he  _ never  _ did. 

The boy wondered why Veronica Lodge, one of the most popular, wealthy, powerful and prettiest people at school, even cared about him. He thought back to their date at Pop’s:

_ “You really tell it how it is. I feel as though you see people for who they truly are.” _

He saw them for their bad qualities, their mistakes. He was constantly engulfed in the negatives. Jughead wanted to know the  _ good  _ things about Veronica; he wanted to know her favorite food, her favorite song, how she felt wrapped in his arms, her hopes and dreams. 

Jughead reached for his phone, quickly typing out a text to Veronica, asking to talk. He watched as her body straightened up at, what he assumed to be, the sound of her phone receiving his text. She read it and quickly replied. He looked down at his own phone to see that she agreed.

The beanie clad boy paced around the empty classroom, his sneakers squeaking on the linoleum. Nerves were something he had grown quite familiar with this year.

Veronica opened the door to the classroom, sending Jughead’s heart and mind into overdrive. “You wanted to see me, Jug?”

He let out a breath, “Yeah, I… just wanted to apologize.”

“Holden Caulfield  _ actually  _ apologizing?” She smirked.

“I’ve apologized to you before,” he huffed with a slight smile at her reference.

“Well, maybe you should stop doing things you have to apologize for.” 

He watched her carefully as she looked down at her nails solemnly. He could read her sad demeanor easily, he had watched her enough to know her tells.

Jughead cleared his throat, his gaze falling to his shoes, “I’m just not used to this.”

“What is  _ this _ ?” Veronica asked, her hand running along her pearls for comfort. 

“Having people…  _ someone... _ care for me. I push people away, Veronica. I  _ use  _ people. They are meaningless to me… just an experiment, I guess. They’re easier to study than interact with.”

Veronica listened intently as he rambled on, her eyebrows quirked questioningly. Jughead liked that she let him talk. He liked that she listened. 

“You mean something to me though,” he continued, walking forward. His long arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. Jughead felt powerful around her; confident. They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment before the blue eyed boy pulled the girl into a searing kiss.

They pulled away moments later, a giggle leaving Veronica’s lips. “Juggiekins, will you be my boyfriend?”

His eyes opened widely, “Your boyfriend?” He had never been one of those before. He never had a pet name either.

The raven haired girl nodded, a wide smile on her face. “Be my boyfriend.”

“O-okay.”

They kissed again.

Excitement filled his chest.  _ Happiness _ .

They walked out of the classroom, hand in hand, ready to face the world. Every uneasy feeling Jughead had felt seemed to melt away in the warm clutch of his  _ girlfriend _ .

Veronica Lodge was his  _ girlfriend _ .

Jughead Jones was a  _ boyfriend _ .

He kissed her.

He held her hand.

Oh my God! He would probably have  _ sex  _ with her!

His head swirled with dreamy possibilities. Jughead was content for the first time in his 18 years, but how long could contentment last?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @kingdomtopaz on twitter :)


	8. Meet The Parent(s)

The next few weeks of their relationship were a whirlwind. Jughead had never smiled so much. They spent all of their free time together, to which Cheryl protested. She was pissed that Veronica kept ditching practice for Jughead, so of course he kept encouraging his girlfriend to do so.

Everything was going great until-

“Juggiekins, I want to invite you over for dinner with my mom.”

“Y-your mom?”

“Yes, she would adore to meet you.”

_ Oh shit. _

“Okay.”

Dinner at the Pembrooke was going smoothly so far. Jughead wore a shirt and tie, his beanie still firmly on his head. Veronica wanted him to wear it; a piece of deficiency to her rich lifestyle. Hermione watched him from the head of the table, her red wine would have no doubt stained her lips by now if it wasn’t for her careful sips. She seemed tense, like having him over wasn’t  _ her _ idea. Elbows on the table, food barely touched, glass after glass downed gluttonously. 

She was as cold and calculating as her daughter, her eyes observing every small detail of the boy to her right. Little did she know, Jughead was doing the same to her.

“So, how long have you been dating my princesa?”

“A little over two months,” Jughead smiled, catching Veronica’s gaze in his own.

Hermione scoffed ever so slightly, taking another gulp of the expensive red, “What are your intentions, Jughead? If you’re anything like your father-”

“Mom,” Veronica hissed, her eyes dark.

Hermione  _ instantly _ coiled back; her shoulders shrugged together, her eyes fell into her lap, her elbows drew back from the table. One look from Veronica and she was just as meek as she was with Hiram. Her daughter was the head of the house and it was  _ oh so obvious. _ Jughead smirked in celebration; his girl was a _ hurricane.  _

“I think we are done here,” Veronica said, standing up from her seat. “Juggiekins, would you please accompany me to my  _ bedroom?” _

Hermione’s eyes widened, but she didn’t protest. 

“Of course. Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Lodge.”

“You’re welcome, Jughead,” she replied, finishing her fourth glass. 

Veronica practically dragged him to her room, eager to show him her space. Jughead was eager too; he was about to see where Hiram Lodge was  _ murdered _ .

The carpet was slightly off in color where his head was obliterated. Less observant guests would never be able to point it out, but Jughead  _ knew _ . His eyes flashed to the corner where his camera was placed, it was hardly noticeable. The red lights weren’t flashing because he wasn’t watching, it was perfectly hidden. He was a genius.

“Hey, Ronnie?”

“Yeah, Jug?” She purred in response as she sat on her bed, tapping the space next to her. She wanted him to sit.

He sat next to her and their thighs touched, sending a jolt of electricity through the boy’s body. “Where’s your Dad? Isn’t he home?”

Veronica’s eyes darkened slightly, “He’s gone… on business.”

“He must be a busy guy.”

“You look so handsome tonight, babe,” she responded, pulling on his tie. 

Subject change with the use of flattery. A Veronica Lodge classic.

“Thanks, so do you… beautiful I mean.”

In one fluid motion she was straddling his lap, he groaned in response. She pulled at his tie harder, breathing heavily, her eyes were almost black. “I look even better  _naked.”_

She kissed him.  _ Hard _ . Soft, glossy, sticky lips on his. Sweet honey; intoxicating poison. She ground her hips into his, her hands finding her way to his hat to rip it off.

“R-Ronnie,” he groaned.

“What?” She murmured, attaching her lips to his neck.

“Not yet.”

She pulled back from him instantly, her eyes narrowing and her lips pulling into a tight line, “You don’t want me?”

“Of course, I want you. Just not yet. I’d at least like to meet your dad first… as a sign of respect. My dad raised me to be old fashioned, I guess.”

Veronica’s mouth dropped open slightly, she was so pretty when she looked unnerved. She wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddling her face into him in a hug. Jughead held her close as she breathed him in, “You’re a true prince, Jughead Jones.”

He could be whatever she wanted him to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @kingdomtopaz on twitter


	9. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is one of my fave chapters. thanks for sticking around through the past few short ones. means a lot!  
> hope you enjoy this one.
> 
> trigger warning for mentioned death and near death experiences.

Jughead Jones had  _ friends. _ Real true friends. They treated him as such. They ate lunch at school together everyday, copied off of each other’s homework, went out on the weekends, laughed with each other, had sleepovers, got drunk, smoked a bit of Toni’s stash, and had each other’s backs. It seemed as though he could do no wrong with them by his side.

It was everything Jughead dreamed of it being. He wondered why he hadn’t tried the  _ friendship _ thing sooner.

“Hey, Jug?” Archie asked as they walked to the football player’s locker after lunch.

“Yeah, Archie?”

The redhead took a shaky breath in, “I was thinking about asking Betty out. What do you think?”

Jughead smiled at his best friend, and put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. “Go for it. I have a feeling she’s crazy about you.”

“Wait, seriously? Did she say something?”

“Nope, just… a feeling.”

Archie smiled at him, “Thanks, dude.”

“What are friends for?”

Jughead felt like he finally knew what they were for.

Veronica asked Jughead on a date that Friday afternoon. She had packed a picnic and ushered the boy into her BMW, heading towards Sweetwater River as soon as school got out for the day. It was a fairly sunny day, despite it being their wet month of April; the snow had long since melted, and the warmth of spring was on its way, much to the raven haired girl’s delight.

“We have to take advantage of the nice weather when it presents its opportunity,” Veronica hummed, her eyes closed as she faced towards the sun. Jughead smiled softly at her. Birds chirped, the water rushed calmly, a cool breeze ruffled his girlfriend’s hair as the sun warmed their depraved skin.

“I agree,” he responded. “It’s really nice out.”

“I also agree,” Veronica replied, tucking her bare legs underneath her. Jughead ran his hands on the soft blanket that they sat on, trying to decide if he wanted to be the one to bust out the food or not. “I haven’t been here since summer.”

“Well it’s been too cold,” Jughead responded, opening up the basket. He pulled out sandwiches, chips, fruit, two glasses, and a bottle of champagne.

“Cheryl almost died here,” she said lowly as if the wind would take her words and spread them to the people of Riverdale.

“She… what?” Jughead asked, his eyes grew soft at the blank face of his girlfriend.

“We never told anyone, but last summer… We all came here. B, Archie, Cheryl, and I. Cheryl was complaining about the trip, claiming she was terrified of large bodies of water. We forced her here anyways. I told her that her FOMO would come back to bite her in the ass later.” She let out a sigh before continuing, “We  _ all  _ teased her. Her ego was too big to sit on the shore all wrapped up, so she undressed, and got in. She was  _ fine _ and  _ honestly _ a strong swimmer.” Veronica rolled her eyes, “She was having  _ fun _ . We all were. Suddenly she started panicking and went under. Archie dove down and got her; he saved her life. When we pulled her up on the shore she wasn’t breathing, Archie had to do CPR. I made her promise she wouldn’t tell, but even with her agreement... we didn’t come back for the rest of the summer.”

“That’s why they seemed so close,” Jughead murmured, rubbing his chin in thought.

What he thought was infatuation was simply  _ gratefulness.  _

Another piece to the puzzle.

“How do you know they were close?” Veronica questioned.

“You guys hang out a lot, everyone’s close,” Jughead quickly answered.

“You specifically called out Archie and Cheryl though.”

“They hang out a lot.”

“No, they don’t. They’ve never hung out outside of school.”

Jughead sat there silent, he didn’t know how to respond. 

“Jug, how do you know so much about everything? Secrets aren’t good for relationships.”

“Is that why you’re a liar?” he seethed back. The questioning had him feeling as though he was backed into a corner… he lashed out… he had to protect himself.

It was Veronica’s turn to be silent. She looked puzzled, tears pricking in her eyes. A personal war raged in her head. Jughead watched her, his chest heaving with anxiety and anger. 

“I-I killed my Daddy,” she blurted out. Her eyes were wild. She suddenly laughed before tears began pouring down her face and her amusement turned into sobs. She threw herself into Jughead’s chest, her tears dampened his shirt. He rubbed her back soothingly.

“I know,” he choked out, listening as Veronica’s cries grew even harder. He kissed her hair, holding her close as her whimpers began to dissipate. 

“H-how, Juggiekins? How do you k-know?”

It was time for him to reveal a secret of his own. Veronica had so haphazardly revealed herself to him… there was no such thing as protecting oneself. They were one. They had to protect each other and that meant  _ no  _ secrets.

“I have cameras, Ronnie. In all of your houses… I watch you… I saw it all happen.”

He expected anger, he expected disgust, he expected a slap to the face, and to have his own father come and haul him away in handcuffs, he expected never to see Veronica again.

None of that came. 

Veronica looked at him calmly, her makeup streaking down her face. She was still so beautiful.

“Show me,” she breathed.

So he did. 

She came to his house. His Dad was still gone at work and still unaware he was even dating Veronica. They walked up to his room hand in hand. He opened the door for her and closed it behind them. Her eyes scanned the dark blue walls and bedding. It was dark and moody, very Jughead. She smiled at the chaos of it all, and watched as Jughead opened a laptop at his desk.

“I haven’t watched any of you… in weeks. You are my friends now… I don’t need to.”

“Why did you do it in the first place?” she asked, watching the laptop whir to life. 

“You aren’t the cleanest of people.”

Veronica laughed slightly, “Everyone has their secrets. It’s human.”

“Humans are inherently flawed.”

“Flaws aren’t weakness, Jughead. It’s how people exploit flaws that create the mistrust.”

He nodded slightly, clicking on his camera program. All four boxes popped up. 

Veronica’s room was obviously empty. 

Archie was studying at his desk, nodding his head to whatever music was playing on his lit up stereo. 

Betty was cleaning her room from the previous week.

Cheryl and Toni were talking on the redhead’s bed, looking over printed photos, no doubt from Toni’s collection. 

“They’re all here,” Veronica breathed, leaning in close to the screen. “You must feel so…  _ powerful.”  _

“I do. This is how I know so much.”

“This is so  _ riveting,”  _ Veronica said, a smile growing on her face. “I could use this… I  _ need _ this.”

Jughead looked up at her puzzled, “You need this?”

“Why, of course, I do. For blackmail… I don’t trust them, Juggiekins. I  _ never  _ have.”

“They… they aren’t like that, Ronnie. They’re our friends,” Jughead replied softly. 

“Betty  _ hates  _ me. It’s only a matter of time before she tells people what I did to her. The whole town will come after me for bringing Jingle Jangle to the youth. I’ll be in  _ deep  _ shit. I needed a way to get them to back the fuck down… this is it Jughead. You gave it to me.”

Jughead swallowed roughly, “Betty doesn't hate you, babe!”

“She resents me for getting her addicted, despite it being her own stupid decision,” she snapped. “I need protection from them… if the public finds out about my drug empire it won’t take long before they find out about my father. You don’t want me in jail, do you, Juggiekins?”

“No, of course not. I just don’t think Betty would do that, you guys  _ love  _ each other!”

“Do you… know?”

“Know?”

“About what we did,” Veronica sighed. Jughead held his breath and nodded, he watched as his girlfriend dropped her head into her hands and yelled out in frustration.

“Where is Hiram buried? Tell me, let me help you.”

“I promise I’ll show you,” Veronica responded, her gaze returning to the screens in front of her. He watched her pupils dilate and fixate on the images of her friends on the screen.

He would do anything for her, even if it meant sharing his source of power. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!  
> @kingdomtopaz on twitter :)


	10. An Increase In Viewership

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smut warning... sorry in advance :/
> 
> only 3 more chapters left of this fic! hope you all are enjoying :)

Veronica was spiraling. The news of the cameras had allowed her to feed into her deepest insecurities and fears. Those happened to be owning up for her mistakes. She was much like Jughead in that way, never wanting to fess up or admit to wrong doings. 

Her breakdown was beginning to become evident to her friends, like it had become to Jughead a week prior. The beanie clad boy was doing everything in his power to defend her against the ‘ _ what’s wrong?’  _ attack while trying to ensure that her conspiracies remained just that.  _ Conspiracies. _

Veronica figured everyone was out to get her; the tapes only claiming that fact in her own mind. Jughead tried his damn hardest not to feed in, but with him being a paranoid boy himself it didn’t last long. Veronica had him too wrapped around her finger for him to fight it.

So, he fed the monster growing within his girlfriend. He fed it the good stuff too. Premium quality. All organic. Top fucking shelf.

The monster that he had created was never satisfied by the stories he served on a silver platter. It was causing tension between him and his obsession. He didn’t like that. Jughead didn’t want problems, he wanted  _ forever.  _

Blue eyes watched the back of dark hair. The dark hair laid claim to a beautiful face. That beautiful face held a mouth, turned down in a perpetual frown, as well as dark eyes that stared, unblinking, at the screen in front of them.

“They’re talking again,” the frown seethed. 

“About you?” Jughead answered.

“Obviously about me, look at them. They can’t  _ not  _ talk about me.”

Sure enough, Archie and Betty sat on the blonde’s bed. They were talking, it was innocent and light. They were smiling and laughing, homework spread out in front of them. Things had been going well for the childhood best friends, the date Archie had asked Betty on went  _ very  _ well. Same with the one after that, and the one after that,  _ and  _ the two after that. Being official seemed to be right around the corner.

The friend in Jughead wanted to feel positive about it, but the boyfriend in him was upset at the idea. Veronica was sure they were planning something against her; an official relationship status would sure do her in  _ big time. _

“You need audio. Why don’t you have fucking audio?” Veronica barked, looking over her shoulder slightly at him. Audio would make both of their lives a million times easier. 

“I’ve told you, Ronnie. It’s a fun guessing game.”

“This isn’t a guessing game… this is my fucking life,” she choked out, clearly upset. 

Jughead let out a sigh, “I know, babe. I know, I’m sorry.”

“You better be,” she snaps. “Watch your tongue when you speak to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Veronica switched her focus to Cheryl and Toni. Jughead got up from his bed to give an apologetic kiss to her cheek, she didn't pull away from him to his delight. His blue eyes watched the figures, honing in on the redhead, and her annoying girlfriend. 

Cheryl sat at her vanity, rubbing lotion on her arms and neck. Toni’s lips moved animatedly, as she pulled herself from the red clad bed. The pink haired girl placed a sultry kiss on Cheryl’s neck, and the redhead turned to capture her in a heated kiss. Toni pulled on pale arms, making the slightly taller girl stand up as they continued their makeout. The Serpent spun Cheryl, pushing her back on the bed before climbing over her.

Jughead cringed, he hated how they were always all over each other. His hand moved to find his wireless mouse and click out of their box, but Veronica caught his hand and stopped him.

“No, let’s watch,” she breathed. 

The lanky boy complied, moving his hand away from the mouse. He felt  _ creepy.  _ He had never watched any of his subjects have sex besides Veronica and Betty and that’s was because it was  _ Veronica.  _ Veronica had sex with others in her room, but Jughead had been too timid to watch the masculine, football players ravish her. __

Cheryl and Toni’s private time felt off limits because it  _ was.  _

Veronica smirked as Cheryl’s underwear was thrown to the side of the room. Pink hair bobbed as she tended to the redhead below her. 

“I really wish you had audio,” the girl said, playing with her pearls. “I’d love to hear Cheryl moan.”

Jughead swallowed roughly at his girlfriend's comment. Cheryl arched her back; her mouth gaped open in, no doubt, loud cries. Toni still attacked her center, roughly holding her down. 

“It makes sense for Bombshell to be the bottom. She tries to be the big, bad HBIC, but she’s nothing but a pillow princess. It’s hilarious really,” Veronica snorted. “Don’t you think?”

“Yes, hilarious,” Jughead replied. 

“Some power she has… I’m the powerful one here and to think  _ she  _ bosses  _ me  _ around…” 

Veronica continued to ramble under her breath, her fingers rubbing up and down her pearls in an effort to soothe herself. It wasn’t working. It never did. 

They watched Cheryl hit her climax, roughly shaking as she pulled at Toni’s fading pink locks. Veronica chuckled again, “Seems like Toni knows what she’s doing.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Did you watch, Jughead?”

“Yeah? I’ve been sitting here the whole time?”

“Not those stupid broads. I meant Betty and I… I know you know what we did… but did you watch?”

Jughead swallowed dryly, “Yeah, I watched.”

“Did you like what you saw?”

“Yes… but just the  _ you  _ parts.”

Veronica slapped his laptop screen down, turning to face him as he peered over her shoulder. “Fuck me, Juggiekins.” She pulled his shirt, bringing him into a sloppy kiss.

Jughead was really about to have sex. He had never done that before. He had seen it in plenty of movies and tv shows, plenty of adult films, even seen his own girlfriend do it with seemingly innocent Betty Cooper, but he had never done it. 

He was nervous to say the least. A feeling he was all too familiar with. 

“I’ve never done this before,” he breathed, pulling away from her slightly.

“Aw, I’m your first? That’s so cute,” Veronica cooed, earning a small smile from the dark haired boy. “I can do all the work.”

_ All the work.  _ Jughead wasn’t sure if he liked that, he didn’t want to be mindless Betty Cooper. He wanted to touch, to feel, to make Veronica scream. Yet, his hands shook. 

Veronica kissed him softly, grabbing his shaking hands as she led him to the bed. 

“I haven’t had to deal with virgins in a while. You’re lucky I like you, Jones,” she smirked with a wave of her finger. 

She pushed him back on the bed, much like Toni had done to Cheryl, and kicked off her heels before climbing on top of him. He groaned at the feeling of her weight on top of his  _ area. _ They kissed again, slowly and sensually, before Veronica ripped off his shirt. Her hands traced down his slight chest, feeling every bone that protruded from his thin body. She hummed at the feeling of his cold skin, and kissed his neck tenderly. 

Veronica jerked her hips slightly causing her boyfriend to yelp out in surprise. The raven haired girl rocked her hips deeper into him and he tossed his head back at the feeling. Jughead grabbed her hips, desperate to feel more of her. 

“Can I undress you?”

“I can undress myself.”

“Can I  _ please  _ do it?” The boy pleaded. 

Veronica rolled her eyes slightly, “Fine, just because it’s your first time.”

Thin pale hands clenched the zipper to her dark dress, slowly pulling it down her back. Jughead leaned up, kissing and sucking on his girlfriend's neck earning a moan from her lips. He smiled victoriously.  _ He  _ had caused that  _ sound. _

The zipper ended and Veronica pulled her arms through the lush material. Jughead helped pull the black dress over her head, throwing it to the side of his room with a thud. His breath got caught in his throat at the dark set that adored her tanned skin. Veronica chuckled, almost humorlessly, at the lust in the pale blue sea below her. 

“You like what you see, Jones?”

“I really do,” he responded, wetting his lips with his tongue. Their lips pulled together in a heated kiss, Veronica slipped her tongue between thin lips easily. She controlled the kiss. She controlled their bodies. Veronica got off of him, reaching for his jeans. 

The lanky boy kicked off the dark denim, eager to rid himself of his virginity. Veronica watched him, almost bored. Jughead pretended not to notice the pang in his chest. The Latina was hard to keep entertained, she grew tiresome of antics easily. He surged forward kissing her roughly; it ignited something within his girlfriend and they sloppily made out, their heats rising. Her hand grabbed him through his underwear and he moaned into her mouth. Veronica took her time stroking him through his plaid boxers, feeling the way he hardened at her touch. 

Jughead relished in the feeling of her  _ finally  _ touching him, and he inwardly cursed himself for brushing off her advances those weeks ago. His eyes snapped open as he realized he didn't have the first thing his dad told him to bring. 

“Condoms,” the boy whimpered. 

Veronica scoffed, “Do you not have any?”

“N-no,” he replied, the material of his underwear becoming scratchy on his throbbing member. 

“You are so lucky I have some,” Veronica growled, pulling herself from the bed. He watched as she stuck her hand in her purse, easily fishing one out. She tossed it to him and he looked curiously at the package. 

_ Extra lubricant.  _

Was she not as turned on as he was? It seemed impossible not to be turned on right now. 

Veronica quickly discarded her underwear and bra before kissing him heavily. Jughead’s hands came up to grope her breasts in an almost juvenile fashion. He remembered from his favorite porn that girls loved their nipples being touched. Porn was realistic enough, right?

He twisted her nipples in his hand, rubbing them until they turned hard. Veronica whimpered into his mouth, “Fuck, Jug.”

She reached for his boxers, yanking them off frantically. She looked at his hard shaft, delight reaching her eyes. 

“Do you like what you see?” Jughead asked timidly, his heart quickening in his chest. 

“Yes, actually,” she nodded, a slight smirk over taking her lips. She grabbed him, causing a moan to leave his throat. She ran her hand up at down his length, warming him up further. “The condom,” she breathed. Jughead quickly scrambled for it, pulling it from his package and slipping it on just as he had learned in sex ed. Veronica pushed him back onto the bed, perching herself over him. She slowly guided him into her entrance, moaning slightly as he filled her. 

“Holy shit,” he groaned. Veronica began to slowly bounce on top of him sending lighting through Jughead’s body. He gripped her hips, helping to guide her up and down. 

“Oh yeah,” she moaned, lowly. She swirled her hips, alternating between bounces and rolls. The combo was devastating to the boy below her and he could feel his release closing in on him. He was proud of himself for lasting  _ this  _ long. 

“Ronnie… I’m-” he choked out. 

“Jughead, you better not,” she groaned. 

“B-but-”

“I n-need to cum… Jughead, I  _ need _ to.”

Jughead tried to focus on his breathing, not the intense feeling only growing below him. Veronica worked diligently to get her own release; her movements quickened and grew sloppy. 

Jughead tried to imagine things that he didn’t like; a trick he had heard about many times. He hoped that at that moment it wasn’t an old wives tale. 

Cheryl Blossom instantly crosses his mind. He  _ loathed  _ the redhead. He figured thinking of another girl wasn’t a good image when he was having sex with his own girlfriend. It also didn’t help that Cheryl was stunning. 

His mind went to Toni Topaz, but quickly left it. She was also gorgeous. 

Betty Cooper… fuck, also pretty.

Archie?

Yeah, Archie Andrews. A safe bet.

He thought about how Archie ate food. Mouth open, wet smacking sounds. 

Jughead wanted to gag.

“Fuck, Jug,” Veronica breathed above him, snapping him back to the task at hand. “I’m so close… r-rub me.”

“Rub you?”

“My clit!”

“Your w-what?” He stammered, confusion etched on his face. He had heard that word before, but didn’t exactly know why it was such a big deal.

Veronica let out a groan of frustration, her own hand coming to rub at the top of her folds. 

_ So that’s where it is. _

He watched her curiously as her moans became frequent. He felt the tightness returning to himself, he needed to release. 

“R-Ronnie,” he panted; Veronica’s dark eyes snapped up to meet his blue ones. He begged for permission silently. She gave him a slight nod and he groaned in thanks. 

She bounced up and down on him roughly, his hips thrusting up to meet her pace. Jughead let out a low growl, the feeling bubbling up. 

“I’m g-gonna,” he breathed. Suddenly he felt himself release within the condom, and he cried out. Veronica didn’t slow down, still chasing her own release. She squeezed his member hungrily, her breathing growing ragged as the circles on her clit quickened. “Oh f-fuck,” he choked out, not sure how much longer his girlfriend could continue his pace on him. It was becoming agonizing. 

She snapped forward, crying out. Her body shook as she released, and she slumped forward onto him, littering his chest in small pecks.

She pulled off of him and they laid there, breathing heavily.

“That was… amazing…” Jughead smiled. 

“It wasn't half bad,” Veronica replied, cuddling into his side. 

Jughead looked to the dark haired girl, he ran his fingers through her hair lovingly. He kissed her forehead, watching as her eyes closed. 

His heart lurched in his chest, beating wildly as his eyes ran over her beautiful features. 

Jughead Jones was  _ hopelessly  _ in love with Veronica Lodge. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @kingdomtopaz on twitter


	11. What Is That?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is almost done!!!!

Archie and Betty made their relationship official on April 20th and promptly removed themselves from the group. It wasn’t that they hated everyone, they were just determined to make their relationship work. They were in it for the  _ long haul.  _ Cheryl and Toni didn’t notice their more persistent absences; they were in their own little world. Veronica, however, definitely noticed. Her paranoia spiked instantly, making her an insecure  _ nightmare _ to be around. Jughead didn’t mind though, he  _ loved  _ her. 

“Betty’s going to tell him,” Veronica murmured; they were sitting in Pop’s, enjoying some coffee.

“Tell who, what?” Jughead asked; he scribbled on a piece of paper, easily forming a tic tac toe box.

“Betty’s going to tell  _ Archie _ about her  _ drug issues.  _ She’s going to spin this to be  _ my  _ fault. They-they might try to confront me… or  _ turn  _ me in.”

Jughead handed her the pen and slid the paper over to her, she narrowed her eyes at him, but accepted the offer to play. She marked an X in the middle box and slid it back over. “We have no idea what they discuss as a couple.” The lanky boy marked an O in the right, middle box before handing the paper and pen back over.

Veronica marked an X in the top left corner, “You need to install audio, Juggiekins.”

“Audio… I don’t know, Ronnie.”

“It’s not a suggestion, it’s a demand.”

Jughead stiffened up at her tone, marking an O haphazardly above his last play and sliding it to his girlfriend. “It’s going to be hard to install.”

“We’ll think of something,” she smirked, adding an X to the bottom right corner. “I win, Juggiekins.”

Win she did. With Veronica’s anxiety ridden demand fresh in his mind, he gathered the tools he needed to install the audio. The next part of the plan was getting the teens away from their homes long enough for Jughead to break in and complete the job. That was left to Veronica. 

The raven haired girl easily persuaded Cheryl and Toni to hang out and have lunch at The Pembrooke. Toni was ecstatic by the idea as she had never seen Veronica’s lavish home, sure it was nothing compared to Thornhill, but it was much better than her shitty trailer she stayed in on the days she wasn’t playing house with her girlfriend. Cheryl was also happy to have the invite, claiming that she rarely saw Veronica. That made Jughead's blood boil; it wasn’t as if Cheryl had invited his girlfriend to hang out. The redhead was too obsessed with her own lover to even look twice at anyone else. 

Thornhill was the easiest of jobs. Despite the walls being filled with riches, the doors and windows were often left unlocked. No one dared to venture to the Blossom Estate as everyone tended to subconsciously steer clear of anything with the Blossom name,  _ except _ their sweet maple syrup. Jughead parked the car, the one his Dad had basically let him have, down the street as he walked up to the mansion. He easily pushed open the gate and slipped inside the grounds. He doubted Mrs. Blossom would be home, she rarely was, especially with Toni wandering about. The only one he would have to worry about would be the old woman. From listening to Cheryl fondly talk about her, she was borderline senile, the dementia taking her mind as well as her sight. Thornhill was a  _ beyond  _ easy job.

Jughead busted through the front door like he owned the place and closed it behind him. He contemplated knocking over an expensive vase near the entrance, knowing the redhead would get an earful. He decided against it, just in case anyone lurked beyond the entrance. 

He hopped up the steps, taking two at a time with his long legs and easily navigated to Cheryl’s bedroom. He thrust open the door, being overwhelmed with the vibrancy of the red.

Everything was basically as he remembered it the first time he had stepped foot in this room, two years ago. There were slight changes to the vampire-esque room; flannels draped over chairs, two pairs of combat boots littered the floor, and a worn serpent jacket was tossed on the bed. 

The room didn’t smell of Cheryl completely either; the vanilla and cherry scent now battled lavender and cinnamon. It wafted into a headache inducing scent; Jughead wanted to move quickly so he wouldn’t be in the vertigo causing room any longer.

He grabbed the vanity stool, moving to the left corner of the room, near the closet entrance. The beanie clad boy grabbed his tools from his back pack as he stepped onto the stool. He unscrewed his camera from the wall, opening the side panel and enabling the audio feature with ease. He smirked cockily to himself as he placed it back on the wall. He suddenly heard the front door slam, causing him to knock into his handiwork slightly. Jughead stared wide-eyed as Penelope’s shrill voice echoed through the halls calling for her  _ ‘nightmare child’.  _ If Jughead wasn’t afraid of being caught he would have laughed at the accurate nickname. 

Penelope’s shrieks soon stopped, figuring out that Cheryl wasn’t home. Jughead figured she retired to her bedroom or to check on the crazy old lady. He replaced the vanity stool back and rushed out of Cheryl’s room and down the stairs; his steps were light and fast decreasing the level of noise. 

He ran out of the front door, closing it gently behind him, and then down the driveway. His heart didn’t calm down until he was safely behind the wheel of his vehicle.

Piece of cake. 

Cheryl returned to Thornhill alone and completely unaware of anyone coming into her space. 

Next were Archie and Betty. 

Veronica was determined that Jughead hit both of them at once. She had invited the couple for burgers and shakes the next day. They agreed, but asked why Jughead wasn’t joining. Veronica stated that he was busy on a project. 

Jughead decided to start with the Andrews’ home. Alice honestly  _ terrified _ him and it would be much harder to get passed her.

The lanky boy shifted nervously as he knocked on the front door. Fred soon opened it; a smile graced his lips, as well as his eyes, upon seeing the boy. Fred and FP were very close in high school and after. Another friendship FP lost when he threw himself into work when Jughead’s mother left. 

“Jughead! What a surprise! Arch isn’t here right now.”

“Seriously? Aw, man. He said he had some class notes for me.”

“He’s out with Betty right now, but I don’t mind if you come in and look around for it.”

“Thanks, Mr. Andrews! It’s really important.”

“Be my guest then! School comes first!”

The construction worker let Jughead into his home and the boy rushed right up stairs. The fake notes he would retrieve packed firmly in his backpack. 

Jughead grabbed Archie’s desk chair, easily propping it in the corner to get to the camera. He unscrewed it from the wall, the same as he did with Cheryl’s camera, and opened the side panel. He flicked the switch of the audio, waiting for it to blink and signal it was activated. It took longer than usual so he had to flick it a few times for it to finally connect. 

Once satisfied it was working, he replaced it on the wall. He got down from the chair and went to place it back when  _ Archie _ busted through the door, followed by Betty. 

“Jughead, what the hell?” The redhead yelled. 

“Archie, Betty… what are you doing here?”

“This is  _ my  _ room!” Archie seethed. 

Jughead swallowed roughly, “I can explain…”

“I knew something was up when you didn’t show up to Pop’s with Veronica, and then Mr. Andrews told Archie you were here. What the hell are you doing?” Betty growled, she was just as mad as Archie. 

“I was getting some notes…” Jughead choked out. 

“Get the fuck out,” Archie said, pointing out of room. Jughead easily slipped passed, darting down the stairs with Archie hot on his trail. “Leave Betty and I the fuck alone, Jones!” The redhead slammed the door on him. 

Veronica was livid despite Jughead installing audio on two out of the three cameras. Both Archie and Betty figured Jughead was up to something which immediately put a light on her as well. The monster grew exponentially. She screamed and threw things around her room when he told her what happened. It was a mess to say the least. She was a mess. Jughead didn’t mind though, he  _ loved  _ her. 

The raven haired girl reached out to the couple, begging to talk and sort things out. They refused. 

Veronica lost her shit. Jughead didn’t mind though, he  _ loved  _ her. 

Love is a powerful, stupid thing. 

Toni lay on Cheryl's bed, humming contently at the redhead showing her outfits. 

“You’re so beautiful,” the pinkette smiled, earning an even bigger smile from her girlfriend. 

“Thank you, my love, but you are a far more precious treasure.”

The redhead dipped back into her closet, leaving Toni to her happiness. The pinkette turned to roll onto her back and stare at the ceiling, during her motion she caught a shadow in the corner she had never noticed before. 

Something was out of place. 

Something wasn’t right. 

Toni rolled onto her stomach, hoping her mind was playing tricks on her. 

Anxiety rose in her chest when she locked eyes with it. 

“What is that?” She breathed, shakily coming to her feet. 

It couldn’t be real… it couldn’t be what she thought it was. 

She grabbed the stool from her girlfriend's vanity, wedging it in the corner before standing on it with shaky legs. 

Toni came face to face… with a  _ camera. _

It was small, seemingly invisible, but knocked slightly out of place that allowed it to be shown to her. Toni placed a hand on the wall, using it as an anchor to help her rip the camera from its mount. 

She rolled the device in her hand and swallowed roughly. 

“Cher, b-baby?” The pinkette choked out. 

The redhead emerged from the closet, her face taunt and serious. “Yes, TT?”

“Why… Baby, why is there a camera?”

“I don’t know what you are referring to. Come off of the stool,” Cheryl murmured, reaching out for her girlfriend. 

Toni hopped off the stool, leaning into her girlfriend to better show the redhead the tiny camera. 

“My hateful mother,” the redhead seethed. “She can’t stand to see me genuinely happy with you.”

“This is a whole new level of fucked up, babe. We’ve had  _ sex  _ in here.”

Cheryl pulled her red lips into a deep frown, “You don’t think  _ she  _ saw, do you?”

“I dunno how long this has been there.”

The couple held each other for a moment, letting the realization of their privacy being taken, take full effect on their minds. 

The next day at school Toni and Cheryl found Archie and Betty in the student lounge. 

“Hey guys,” Archie smiled. “How was your weekend?”

“Dreaded,” Cheryl responded, sitting in Toni’s lap. 

“Tell me about it,” Betty sighed. 

“We found a camera in Cheryl’s room,” Toni muttered. “We don’t know how long it’s been there. I noticed it yesterday. I hadn’t been in Cheryl’s room since Thursday before we left for lunch with Veronica-”

“You had lunch with Veronica on Thursday?” Betty interrupted.

“Yes, we did. At the Pembrooke. Anyways, as TT was saying, the camera. I think my viper of a mother placed it there,” Cheryl continued. 

Betty looked deep in thought, “Veronica invited us to Pop’s on Friday… Jughead wasn’t there and then…” she trailed off for a moment. “Was Jughead at the lunch?”

“Nope, Ronnie said that he had a project or something,” Toni shrugged, her hand rubbing Cheryl’s thigh soothingly. 

Archie and Betty exchanged worried glances. “We caught Jughead in Arch’s room.”

“What?” Toni asked, arching an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, my dad texted me saying Jug came over unannounced. It gave me a bad vibe so while Ronnie was in the bathroom we ditched her and caught him in my room.”

“What if he was the one who placed the cameras?” Betty almost whispered. 

“And why would he do that, exactly?” Cheryl huffed. 

Betty buried her head in her hands, “Veronica’s been so on edge recently.”

“Why would Jughead do that? We’re friends?” Toni frowned. She considered the boy her closest confidant, besides her girlfriend. 

Betty glances towards her boyfriend, her blue eyes watering up. Archie squeezed her knee comfortingly. “Veronica… she got me hooked on Jingle Jangle after her party a few months back… she’s been freaking out thinking I was going to tell on her… I’m not… it was a mistake… I’m f-fine now… but what… what if she did this… to make sure… I couldn’t…”

“Oh, Betty,” Cheryl whimpered, reaching out for the blonde. They held hands, squeezing each other comfortingly. “We need to confront these rats.”

“Who knows if it’s true,” Archie muttered. 

“It’s all  _ too  _ coincidental, Arch. I bet we’ll find a camera in your room and mine,” Betty replied, a single tear dropping down her face. 

Sure enough, when Archie and Betty went home that night they also discovered cameras of the same make and model. Cheryl knew her theory of it being her mother was debunked. 

It was Jughead and Veronica. 

They did this, and the redhead was in the mood for some hell raising. 

The next day at school, Cheryl Blossom marched right up to Veronica and Jughead who sat outside, enjoying a bit of sun.

“Ice Queen, Hobo, explain yourselves,” she growled; Toni stood at her side while Archie and Betty lingered back slightly. 

Veronica seemed unfazed by her anger and accusation, “I suggest you back off, Bombshell.”

“Make me, worm,” Cheryl challenged. “You will spy on us no more. This is a new low, even for you.”

Veronica laughed at her.  _ Laughed. _

Toni clenched her jaw, “This isn’t fucking funny, Veronica. What the fuck?”

Cheryl crosses her arms and jutted her hip to the side, “I’m going to out Jughead to the whole school as the peeping Tom he is. Outing you as a drug lord won’t be far behind.”

“Watch it. We have  _ dirt  _ on all of you.”

Cheryl's face visibly fell, “You’re all talk.”

“You wish I was,” Veronica smirked. She arched a dark eyebrow. “Mr. Andrews had a relationship with the school music teacher.”

Archie's eyes widened in shock as he turned to look at Betty. “Arch?” She murmured. Archie stood there silent, looking at his shoes. 

“Veronica,” Toni warned, but the raven haired girl kept going.

“Betty used to be a cam girl. She wore a dark wig and all. Not to mention her horrid drug problem and our little  _ encounter  _ over it.”

It was Betty’s turn to stiffen as everyone turned to look at her, “I-I don’t do that anymore… none of it.”

“Doesn’t matter, B. We have it on tape. It’ll live forever.”

“Shut up,” Cheryl huffed. 

“Why, Bombshell? Don’t want people to know the HBIC herself cried herself to sleep every night?”

Cheryl held her breath, tears pooling in her eyes, “I  _ was  _ a sad person.”

Veronica chuckled, “You  _ still  _ are. People won’t listen to you once they know how  _ weak  _ you truly are.” 

“My secret doesn't even matter. I don’t care what you say about me,” Cheryl challenged.

“I don’t think you understand, Cheryl. You say one word and it won’t just be your secret… it’ll be Archie’s, and Betty’s, and  _ Toni’s.”  _

“Toni’s? You didn’t have a camera in her trailer,” Betty spoke up. 

Veronica smiled sweetly, “Cheryl’s camera gave us all we needed to know about our dashing Antoinette.” She turned to look darkly at the pinkette, “You aren’t as noble as you appear to be… you  _ fucking  _ thief.”

Toni lunged forward, but Veronica didn’t even move at her advances. The pinkette gripped the blue table and leaned in close, “Shut the fuck up.”

“Or what? Exactly. I’ll send you to jail, Toni.”

“What is she talking about?” Archie asked. 

“Nothing,” Cheryl snapped. 

Jughead watched fondly as Veronica stood from her seat, making intense eye contact with the gang member in front of her. “We gathered this from our audio that Jughead was installing while you idiots were hanging out with me. Toni steals from her place of employment, the Whyte Wyrm, to make ends meet.”

Toni sighed so deeply it was almost a growl; Cheryl grabbed her hand gently, pulling the shorter girl away from Veronica. “I-I needed the money… to keep my water on. I work so many hours but barely get paid… I-I,”

“You’re nothing but a low life thief. You steal from your work and mooch from your rich girlfriend. That’s probably why you’re even with her,” Veronica snapped. 

“That’s not true,” Toni hissed. “I  _ love  _ her!”

“Whatever, Antoinette,” Veronica said, with a bored roll of her eyes. 

“What are your demands, Veronica?” Cheryl asked, tears threatening to spill down her face. “What do you want? I thought we were friends.”

“I don’t need friends. I don’t need anyone,” Veronica replied, calmly. Jughead seemed unfazed by her words. “You have to keep the cameras on. You have to keep them.”

“No,” Betty snapped. 

“Then everyone will know,” the Latina smirked. 

“Fine. As long as the cameras stay on, our secrets stay secret.  _ Deal?”  _ Cheryl replied, a hand extended.

“Deal,” Veronica agreed, shaking her hand. 

Jughead had never been more in love with Veronica at that moment. The sexy, strong power she exuded was everything he admired about her in one rapid conversation. Veronica had everyone in that group of pathetics shaking and crying from the words that left her mouth. 

They lay in her bed that night, bare bodies tangled together. 

“How’d you know they were going to comply?” Jughead mumbled, placing a kiss to her head. 

Veronica smiled smugly, cuddling deeper into his chest, her nails raking against the pale skin, “You may be God, Jones. But I am the Universe. I see more, do more, am more. Even you are a pawn in my game, babe. That’s just how it is. Everyone bends to the Universes’ will. Even God. It wasn’t going to be hard to get your creations to succumb to my power and will. I have  _ you  _ wrapped around my finger and  _ you’re  _ the one who gave them  _ life.”  _

Her words sent a chill up Jughead’s spine.

She called him  _ God.  _ She recognized his role. She recognized his power. 

While she told him he was less than, he knew deep down  _ he  _ was the all powerful one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @kingdomtopaz on twitter
> 
> hope you enjoy the choni (but especially Toni) heavy next two chapters!


	12. No Safe Space

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for brief smut mention and not of the straight variety sksksk
> 
> this is one of my favorite chapters, especially the Betty section!   
> this chapter is choni heavy so i hope ya'll enjoy! love my scheming gfs!

The cameras stayed up and on per Veronica’s request. The safety, comfort, and privacy of the bedroom became no more. It haunted Archie, Betty, Cheryl, and Toni. It ruined the innocence and growth they all had restored within the four walls of their bedrooms. 

It was causing tension.

Tension within themselves.

Tension with each other. 

Veronica and Jughead were basking in it all. The monster within Veronica Lodge feasted on the strain with an awaiting mouth and a smile.

She liked seeing them  _ suffer. _

Jughead enjoyed it too. He liked seeing them get what they deserved. Years of running rampant we’re finally catching up with the teens. He liked feeling  _ powerful. _

Archie very rarely ventured into his room. He went in to change clothes or do homework while his dad was home, but every night he would sneak out from under the covers of his bed and rush out of the room, giving the camera a stony, yet saddened stare. 

He most likely spent his nights on the couch. He looked more and more exhausted as the days ticked by.

Betty and Cheryl were more  _ stubborn.  _ They spent the same amount of time in their rooms. They slept in their beds and went about their business. 

Changes were evident as much as they tried to hide them. 

The girls would stop changing in their rooms. Not a glimmer of pale skin shown to the camera. 

Toni was more  _ defiant.  _ Flipping off, and cussing out the camera in Cheryl’s room at random moments. It was entertaining to Veronica, to say the least. She often threw stuff at it too, covering up the lens with shirts or knocking it slightly out of place before Veronica blew up the couple’s phones with threats for not following the rules. Cheryl often scolded her girlfriend for her actions, but there was a smile on her face as she did so. That sure pissed Jughead off. They acted like this was some wild joke. He didn’t like it one bit and he sure as hell didn’t  _ trust _ them. Jughead also often complained about Toni messing with the cameras. He had received the cameras for free, since he had stolen them, but he had basically created them and the software with his bare hands. Any damage to the camera was damage to  _ him.  _ Toni was stepping too far out of bounds with minor repercussions, yet Veronica didn’t move an inch to punish her further. It was like the raven haired girl wanted to see how far the gang member would push things. Veronica liked the test, she liked the defiance. It made her game more  _ fun. _

Things were less fun for Cheryl and Toni as the couple hadn’t had sex in  _ weeks.  _ With Toni’s grandfather and uncle always at home they had nowhere to sneak off to. While they quite enjoyed being intimate, they both had dignity and refused to do it in cars or public places where anyone could walk in on them. Cheryl’s room was their go to, but with the camera and Penelope more recently lurking in the halls of Thornhill, there was no  _ safe  _ space. 

They were all over each other at school. 

It was quite an unpleasant sight, despite how stunning both girls were. 

Archie and Betty sat on the couch, trying not to watch as the couple made out on the love seat across from them. Their tongues flicked wildly against each other as their bodies rocked in a sensual rhythm. Toni let out a low moan and gripped Cheryl harder, her hand roaming down to palm at the redhead’s ass.

_ “Okay!”  _ Betty yelped, standing up. “That’s enough of that!” The girls ripped apart and blinked at the blonde, confusion on both of their faces. They glanced at each other and then back at Betty. “We’re in  _ school,” _ the blonde whined. “You can’t dry hump each other.”

“I apologize, dear Betty. My TT and I are merely… frustrated. This camera situation has not been kind,” Cheryl sighed, trying to pull herself away from Toni. The pinkette kept their hand on her girlfriend firmly in place, not allowing her to fully distance herself. 

“Don’t apologize, babe. As if other people don’t do it,” Toni rolled her eyes. 

“Archie and I are  _ right  _ here!” Betty scoffed. 

“Well I’m sorry you guys don’t have sex and get mad when others want to!” The Serpent replied. She stood up from the love seat suddenly and extended her hand to her girlfriend. “Let’s go, babe.” Cheryl shot Betty an annoyed look for upsetting her girlfriend before grabbing Toni’s hand and leaving the Student Lounge.

“They’re so frustrating,” Betty groaned, collapsing back down onto the couch.

Archie sat in silence for a moment. “Don’t get mad at them, Betty. That’s what Veronica and Jughead want. They want us against each other. They’re just... I dunno... Cheryl’s mom is awful, so is Toni’s uncle, and they have a camera in their room with nowhere else to go. That sucks. This whole situation just sucks.”

“Everyone’s watching…” Betty murmured. “I don’t want them to draw more attention to themselves. Everyone’s watching, Arch.”

Archie frowned slightly and took his girlfriend’s hand before kissing her softly.

Toni and Cheryl were getting handsy in the hallway. The redhead was pinned against the lockers with Toni kissing her senseless against them. The redhead wasn’t much for following rules or listening to what people told her, especially Betty Cooper, despite how close they had become, but she couldn’t help but feel just as revolted by their own actions as Betty and probably their peers were. Cheryl didn’t want dirty. She didn’t want public. She wanted the privacy of her bedroom and her lovely satin sheets pressed into her back. 

Despite how forward Toni was being, the redhead knew that her girlfriend wanted that too. They weren’t  _ all  _ sex. They never were. They cared for each other in every way imaginable, but of course, they wanted to be intimate. They were a couple, after all. Being told no only made the need grow more, and being denied for weeks had frenzied the both of them. 

“Blossom, Topaz, break it up! This is a school,” Principal Honey’s annoying voice rang out. Both girls groaned and pulled away from each other. “If I see that behavior again I’ll-”

“You’ll what? Hm?” Cheryl asked. “I think you forget who’s really in charge of these halls.  _ Toodles!”  _ The redhead dismissed him with a wave of her hand, but Honey stood his ground.

“You cannot disrespect me, Miss Blossom. I am your superior.”

Oh, how Cheryl  _ hated _ that. 

No one was her superior. 

They were either her equal, like her dear girlfriend, or beneath her. 

She was sick of people thinking that they could order her around. 

She was sick of people like  _ Veronica  _ winning. 

Toni smirked slightly, waiting for Honey to get an earful, but instead Cheryl calmly rose from the locker. “Yes, Principal Honey. It won’t happen again.”

Even Honey himself looked shocked at her compliance and he quickly shuffled off before Cheryl could change her mind. 

“Babe, what the hell was that? I wanted you to chew his ass out,” Toni purred, pecking her neck.

“We have  _ bigger  _ fish to fry, my love,” the redhead replied, eagerly kissing the shorter girl again. 

Betty was being eaten from the inside out. She was constantly competing. Competing with her sister for her mother’s love. Competing with the dark wig to see who was more desirable. Competing with her classmates and her friends. Competing with Miss Geraldine Grundy for Archie’s heart. 

She was sick of playing the winning hand every damn time, but still  _ losing.  _

Betty Cooper was not a loser. 

Archie chose her. He  _ cared  _ about her, but Veronica’s voice in the back of her head told her that she’d never be good enough. 

Every time she saw Archie nod along to some song playing on the radio, every time she saw sheet music fall out of his locker or out of his notebooks, every time he reached for his guitar, she imagined Miss Grundy.

Archie was a minor. He was manipulated. He was harmed. He swore up and down that his feelings were not existent, yet Betty was still distraught. 

She had always pictured them giving everything to each other. 

Betty dreamed that Archie would be her first. Her first kiss, her first time, her first boyfriend.

Her first kiss  _ was  _ Archie when they were five. 

Her first boyfriend  _ was  _ and  _ still  _ is Archie. 

Yet, she gave her first time to Veronica. She was high out of her mind as the strokes of a warm tongue sent her into a shaky orgasm. 

Archie’s first was stolen by a predator.

Betty hated it. She hated that their firsts were traumatic. She would give Archie the moon and the stars if she could. 

Would he do the same?

He swore he would.

What else would be stolen from her? She didn’t want Archie to  _ steal  _ her heart. She wanted to  _ give _ it to him. She wanted to put it in a jar with a bright yellow bow and present it to him. Betty wanted Archie to accept it and care for it. She wanted him to put it in his room for safe keeping. She wanted him to hold it close at night. 

Betty was sick of people taking things that weren’t theirs.

Betty was sick of  _ Veronica _ winning. 

Archie felt guilty. The guilt ate him alive like some smiling monster. He was  _ angry.  _ Like ‘punch a hole through a wall’ angry. 

Betty didn’t trust him. She was fearful of his  _ ‘first love’  _ that roamed Riverdale like a ghost. 

Sure, he loved Miss Grundy, but not like he  _ loved  _ Betty. He had loved Betty Cooper since they were five. He just always felt as if he wasn’t enough. 

He wasn’t smart enough. 

He wasn’t kind enough.

He wasn’t  _ good  _ enough. 

Archie thought he would never deserve Betty. 

Yet, they worked it out. Two became one. Feelings were confessed and he  _ loved  _ her. 

He wanted to convince her as such. Feelings flowed out of him in the form of lyrics dancing in his head, but he felt like he couldn’t show it. Betty visibly cringed when he even  _ looked  _ at his guitar. He felt guilty that one of the only things that brought him immense joy, besides the blonde girl next door and his father, hurt  _ her. _

He wanted to play.

He wanted to sing.

He wanted to write. 

Archie didn’t deserve Betty as all he ever did was hurt her.

He was sick of making bad decisions. He was sick of never being able to correct them. 

He was so sick of  _ losing.  _ Above all he was sick of the girl that had caused all of them so much pain, holding her nose up at them as if she wasn’t more manipulative and horrible than Grundy could  _ ever  _ be.

Archie was sick of  _ Veronica _ winning. 

“TT,” Cheryl whined, her head crashing back into the tiles of the shower behind her. She breathed heavily as Toni pressed soothing kisses to her chest. The girls had figured out that the locker room showers were free of Vixens by 5:30, allowing  _ them _ to finally release their frustrations  _ over,  _ and  _ over,  _ and  _ over  _ again. 

Cheryl slumped against the cold tile tiredly; goosebumps raised on her skin as Toni removed her fingers. The redhead smirked weakly as tanned fingers disappeared behind deep pink, plump lips.

“Fuck, I love you,” Toni hummed, kissing Cheryl’s slowly, allowing the redhead to taste herself. 

“I love you too,” Cheryl replied, giving her girlfriend a tight hug. Toni reached behind them and turned on the water, blasting them with cold water that soon turned warm. Their tired bodies relaxed at the warmth that hit them as they began to shower together.

The couple was satisfied… for now. 

Cheryl didn’t want  _ for now.  _ She wanted permanence, but she allowed herself a lovely shower with her girlfriend before plaguing her own mind with schemes to get back at her once best friend. 

“TT?” Cheryl asked; they sat across from each other at Pop’s, filling their stomachs with fries and shakes. 

“Yeah, babe?” Toni hummed, clearly feeling content from earlier. 

“We have to stop Veronica. I  _ can’t  _ go on like this. Having our privacy taken from us? It’s horrendous.”

Toni’s jaw tightened and she dropped the fry that she was holding. “How do you suppose we do  _ that _ , babe? She literally watches us all the time. I feel her eyes on us even at fucking school.”

“We have to get something on her.”

“You guys were friends. Did she ever mention anything?”

Cheryl sighed deeply, hating to be reminded that she even held warmth in her heart for Veronica Lodge. “Nothing of pertinence, TT. Nothing we could exploit.”

Toni frowned slightly, stirring her chocolate milkshake. The couple sat in silence for a few minutes before the pinkette smirked and leaned forward, “Well then, Cher. I guess it’s our turn to  _ watch them.” _

Cheryl’s mouth quirked up into a cocky side smile of her own. She raised her milkshake, her girlfriend following suit, and they clinked their glasses.

Veronica and Jughead were finally going to get what was coming to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @kingdomtopaz on twitter


	13. The Proof is in The Photos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the grande finale.
> 
> trigger warning for blood, violence, threatening of harm, murder, and death.
> 
> let's go toni topaz! (happy bday vanessa, thanks for bringing this badass to life)

To win the game Veronica and Jughead were playing, Toni and Cheryl had to  _ become  _ them. They had to hollow themselves out, throw sanity to the wind, and claw and scratch for any detail they could use to destroy them. Cheryl was used to being ruthless, but this was of the more secretive kind. Toni’s plan was in full motion. They watched Veronica and Jughead’s every move, hoping they would mess up and reveal  _ anything  _ they could use.

It was a painstaking process, and involved the couple being over enemy lines more often than they liked to. 

The Riverdale High hallways were crowded with students enjoying their brunch time. Cheryl and Toni stood among their peers, the redhead’s back against the lockers with her arms wrapped around her girlfriend’s neck. Toni’s hands rested on Cheryl’s hips as they talked intimately with each other. From Cheryl’s position she could clearly see the objects of their obsession getting into Jughead’s locker. The lanky boy pulled out a textbook, his eyes gazing lovingly at the Latina over his shoulder. Veronica’s gaze was warm too, but not nearly as warm as his.

“Poor, pathetic Jughead,” Cheryl sighed. “He’s clearly in love with her.”

“How can you tell, babe?” Toni asked, an eyebrow arched. 

“He looks at her the same way you look at me. Except she does not reciprocate like I do,” Cheryl smiled, pecking her girlfriend’s lips. Her hands dropped from around Toni’s neck to rest on her hips as well, giving her a clearer view of the duo across from them.

“You look beautiful today,” Toni hummed, keeping their conversation light, but still interactive so it wouldn’t draw attention. 

“Thank you, TT,” Cheryl blushed, her eyes following as Veronica and Jughead walked passed them and around the corner. Cheryl sighed quietly. Down that hallway there was the janitor's closet, the Blue and Gold room, and some underclassmen classrooms. It would be more conspicuous if Cheryl and Toni were seen there. 

During lunch, the girls walked hand in hand to the bathroom in the empty halls. The cafeteria was packed full of everyone, leaving very few stragglers wandering the halls or outside on the cloudy spring day. They had decided to postpone their sleuthing for the day and make out in the bathroom as a stress reliever. Cheryl’s suggestion. 

The two rounded the corner, smiles ghosting their lips when Toni suddenly grabbed Cheryl and pushed her back. “TT, wh-”

“Shhh,” Toni huffed, peaking around the corner slowly. Cheryl did as well, catching a glimpse of Veronica and Jughead leaning against some lockers talking. Veronica laughed sweetly, placing a hand on her boyfriend’s chest. They talked for some odd minutes as the girls watched with bated breaths. 

Suddenly Veronica’s face grew serious. “Juggiekins?” She prompted. 

“Yeah?” The lanky boy replied. 

“I want to show you something after school tomorrow.”

“What?”

Veronica’s eyes watered up, “Something near Sweetwater.”

Jughead leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to her forehead, “Okay. Thank you for finally showing me.”

The couple headed in the opposite direction of Cheryl and Toni, leading the girls to pull back around the corner.

“Obviously Veronica has been hiding something there,” Toni whispered. 

Cheryl nodded slowly, pondering what she had heard. “Clearly, she made a mistake. V seems to also have told Hobo about it in the past, and is finally deciding to show him the rest of it.”

“Agreed,” Toni responded. “Could totally be drugs.”

“Oh my god, TT! My brilliant little savant, it is most definitely her drug den.”

“Okay so we’ll-”

“Toni, I am going to suggest that you go alone. I am not much equipt for hiking around and know very little of the area compared to you. Plus, being near the roaring river makes me uneasy and you are extravagant with a camera.”

The pinkette frowned slightly, “I wanted to catch her  _ together.” _

Cheryl reached up gently to tuck a piece of pink hair behind her girlfriend's ear. “And we will, mon tresor! We just need a future Nobel Peace Prize journalist to start her journey in crime reporting.”

Toni smiled softly, stuffing her hands in her Serpent jacket pockets; a ting of pink formed in her cheeks. “You sure know how to flatter a girl, Blossom.” 

“You are the only girl I care about flattering, my love.” Cheryl replied. “Now shall we make out in the bathroom for the remainder of lunch?”

“Don’t mind if we do,” Toni replied, grabbing her girlfriend’s hand and racing to the nearest bathroom. 

Wilderness crunched softly underneath her light steps, her camera swinging from her neck. Toni had been tailing Jughead and Veronica for a good hour, surprised the Latina survived the stretch of forest in her heels.

They had been waking up the river, the roar of the white, rapid folds flooded Toni’s ears, and she felt relieved that Cheryl didn’t come, knowing of her near death experience the previous summer. 

Toni had grown up in these woods, and grew more and more confused as they dipped deeper into the forest. There was no considerable area to even hide anything unless you dug into the Earth. Toni couldn’t imagine Veronica digging a hole to save her life. 

The pinkette ducked behind a tree, watching as Jughead and Veronica came to a slight clearing between the trees and stopped. Veronica gestured to a spot of disturbed soil, tears streaming down her face. Toni lifted her camera and snapped a few pictures, the shots crystal clear and almost hauntingly beautiful.

The couple stood around the dirt, just holding each other. It was  _ sad.  _ Toni frowned while watching them, her hate dissipating for a breath or two. 

Jughead leaned down, touching the soft earth with a shaky hand. Toni took another picture and leaned down behind the tree with a sigh. The forest was cold that afternoon, a misty film hung in the air from the rain spells. The pinkette shook slightly and pulled her jacket closer around her body; she couldn’t wait to get to Cheryl’s house and take a hot shower. She watched the couple as they turned to leave. 

An hour of walking for only 15 minutes of time at the destination…

It didn’t seem right. 

Nothing was taken. Nothing was dug up. Minimal words were exchanged, and Toni didn’t have any incriminating photos to share with her girlfriend and friends. 

_ Nothing. _

“Fucking taking my privacy  _ and  _ wasting my time?” Toni muttered under her breath with a huff. She circled the tree slowly to stay out of the couple's sight as they walked back in the direction they came. Toni watched their figures disappear from view and still she waited. 

She then walked into the clearing and checked over her shoulder to ensure she truly was alone. Birds chirped over her head and she visibly relaxed. Toni hadn’t been in the forest in months. It felt good to be surrounded by the trees; they watched much like Veronica and Jughead, but their stares didn’t feel invasive. They felt embracing; embracing to her and the snake on her back.

Toni hovered over the mound, clearly something was buried there. She took a picture of the dirt before dropping to her knees. Toni removed her camera and placed it on a rock nearby. The cold dirt pressed into her knees, muddying her jeans. She sighed slightly before digging her hands into the earth and throwing it to the side. The pinkette was determined to unearth the evidence and not report back empty handed. 

She dug and dug, her nails and hands caked with cold dirt that sent the chill she felt even deeper into her. She shook slightly, sweat forming on her face only to evaporate off and freeze her more. Suddenly, her hands made contact with something that wasn’t dirt.

It felt like fabric.

Thick fabric. 

Toni furrowed her eyebrows and threw more dirt to the side, her clawing becoming more frantic as she filled with both excitement and terror. 

A suit. 

She had unearthed a charcoal grey suit stained with dirt and  _ blood. _

Toni gagged at the smell, pulling her herself back from the small piece she had uncovered.

Her stomach heaved. 

A body, it was a _ fucking body.  _

Her mind raced as she lurched forward, spewing the minimal contents from her stomach into the dirt below. Coughs racked her frame as her body shook from her violent expulsion. 

She felt so  _ cold. _

“F-fuck,” she gagged. Despite growing up in a gang, Toni Topaz was nonviolent. She hated violence and often revolted against it. She didn’t want the Serpents to fall deeper down the dark path that they were on, but of course they did. 

Toni had never killed or seen a dead body. She hadn’t even made anyone bleed, contrary to popular belief.

Knowing what lay below the sanctity of the forest floor made her choke out a sob as her ragged breaths ripped through the peace of the air around her. 

Veronica Lodge was a  _ murderer.  _

“Who-who are you?” Toni cried to the body. 

She knew she needed to find the answer, but the thoughts of her hands coming near any part of their lifeless limbs terrified her. 

Toni, herself, felt dead in that moment. She felt just as lifeless and cold as the body. 

Tears spilt down her face as she wiped her mouth haphazardly. She pulled the bandanna that was holding her hair back, down and unwrapped it. She positioned the dark garment around her face hoping foolishly that it would keep the stench of rotting flesh from her nose. She knew it couldn’t. 

Toni slowly crawled over to the mound, her eyes blurry from tears. A sob lingered in her throat, but she refused to let it out. She had a job to do. 

She positioned her hands higher up and began digging with powerful determination. She wanted to go  _ home.  _ Back to Cheryl. She wanted to cry into a pale chest and have pale hands soothingly run through her hair. Toni wanted the love of her life to sing her to sleep and pepper her forehead with kisses. 

She was so thankful Cheryl hadn’t come. She would hate for her girlfriend’s soft heart to be tainted by the sight before her. 

Rustling was heard under her nails. Toni whimpered as she scooped back dirt and was met with the shine of a black garbage bag where the head should be. She reached for the ties, pulling at them slowly with a convulsing hand. She tried to steady her breathing, but feared to even open her mouth. She didn’t want her scream to disrupt the forest. 

Toni pulled the bag back and jumped back in fright. His head was bashed in, pieces of skull sticking out. Brain matter littered his collar and the inside of the bag. His eye was obliterated in the attack to his right side and dried blood caked his face making him nearly unrecognizable. 

But Toni knew. 

It was Hiram Lodge. 

She had seen his chiseled features in the paper too many times to forget. 

Veronica had murdered her father. 

Hiram was a bad man. Horrid, greedy, cunning, and terrifying. The raven haired girl probably had a good reason, but it didn’t matter. 

Murder was murder right? 

Even if it did get taken to court and she was able to prove that it was self defense, the accusation and burying of the body would still taint her name, and destroy any profit she tried to make in the future. 

Veronica was screwed. 

Toni let out a shaky breath and stood up on shaky legs. She grabbed her camera as she stood above Hiram. Her eye looked through the viewfinder, and she struggled to get the lense in focus with her entire body shaking like a leaf. 

Toni huffed in frustration and pulled the camera from her face. She desperately tried to calm her nerves so she could get this  _ fucking  _ over with. 

She needed Cheryl right now. 

The pinkette looked through the viewfinder more aggressively now. The shutter snapped with each picture she took. She even got closer to get in detail ones of his face. 

She made horrific look beautiful. 

Toni hated that. 

“This is so fucked up,” she sobbed into the air. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know if she should cry, scream, rush home to Cheryl, or rebury Hiram as if nothing had happened.

Her ancestors were particular about how they handled deaths. 

She didn’t want to dishonor Hiram, despite him being a bad man who helped to create the  _ monster _ that terrorized Cheryl and their friends. 

Would she be doomed for all eternity if she left him out in the open to rot against the elements? 

Veronica had left him here to wither away. Her own  _ father _ . 

Yet, Toni couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t. 

Hours later Toni shuffled to her bike. Her whole body ached and a headache plagued her mind. She pulled the motorbike from behind its hidden position in the trees, and brought the engine to life. She flicked her headlamp on and screamed out, her yells muffled by the roar of the engine.

It was dark. 

It had been hours. 

Cheryl was probably terrified. 

Toni shakily brought out her phone, her dirty fingers smugging the screen. 

**_32 Missed Calls from Baby ❤️ 🌹_ **

**_103 Text Messages from Baby ❤️ 🌹_ **

**_5 Text Messages from Betty ✨_ **

**_24 Text Messages from Archie 👨🏻‍🦰_ **

Toni brought the phone to her ear, it barely rang before a hysteric voice rang out on the other end. 

_ “TT? Baby?”  _ Cheryl choked out.

“Babe, I’m so sorry. I’m okay, I’m fine. I’m coming home.”

“ _ I was so worried. It’s been hours! I-” _

“I know, baby girl. I know. I’m so sorry.”

_ “I’m just s-so glad you’re safe… if you didn’t… get home by-by 10… I was going to send a… search party,”  _ Cheryl sobbed. 

Toni laughed softly, “I’m safe.”

_ “I thought… those... those creatures had… h-hurt you, TT.” _

“I had no signal. I’m so sorry. I’m coming  _ home  _ right now. We’ll talk about it, baby. I swear.”

_ “Please drive safe. I want you here. I want you safe!”  _

“I will. I want to come back to you. Can you tell Betts and Arch I’m okay, please?”

_ “I will, ma cherie.” _

“Thank you. I  _ love  _ you.”

Cheryl let out a watery hum,  _ “and I love you.” _

Toni busted through the front door, not bothering to be quiet, despite Penelope more than likely being home. Cheryl choked out a sob and moved from her seated position on the stairs. They embraced each other tightly, just breathing each other in.

“Toni,” Cheryl whimpered into her hair, pulling her tighter in her arms. 

“Baby,” Toni responded, kissing her cheek. 

“Cheryl, what in God’s name is that Hobgoblin doing in  _ my  _ home?”

Cheryl snapped her head to her mother, her hands never leaving Toni. Tears streamed down her face as she let out a shaky breath, “This is _my_ house, Mother. You know that. Daddy left it to _me._ Toni is _my_ _girlfriend_ and she is welcome in _my_ home. If you don’t like it then you can just _leave.”_

Penelope blinked slowly at her words and moved to retaliate, but Cheryl grabbed Toni’s hand and pulled her up the stairs. 

“You stood up to your mom?” Toni asked once they were safely in her room. 

Cheryl suddenly cupped Toni’s face, bringing the girl in for a salty kiss. Toni hummed into it, her hands gripping Cheryl’s hips. 

“Tonight made me realize that I don’t care about what she thinks. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I  _ love  _ you and I thought I lost you,” Cheryl whispered, her brown eyes wide and glossy. It looked like she had been crying for hours. “I was going to kill her, TT.”

“Veronica?” Toni asked. 

Cheryl nodded, “I was going to set her penthouse ablaze.  _ Something.  _ I was going to do it if you didn’t return home safe.”

“I’m here, Cher.” Toni replied, kissing her nose lightly. The redhead engulfed her in a passionate kiss, struggling to pull the dirty leather from her girlfriend’s shoulders. 

“Cher, no. Baby, please. As good as that sounds right now we need to talk,” Toni breathed, scrapping her dirty thumb over her girlfriend’s cheek. Cheryl nodded in complete understanding. “Veronica did something very bad,” the pinkette said, her bottom lip trembling. “I saw something  _ fucked up _ tonight.”

Cheryl gripped the hand against her face, feeling the mud and dirt on it. The redhead’s eyes ran along her girlfriend, finally noticing the state she was in. Her wet, muddy body shook slightly, her eyes were red from crying, and her hair was a tangled mess. “TT, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Toni murmured.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, shall we? You can tell me all about it in the shower.”

So Toni told her, with tears spilling down her face, and broken and ragged breaths. Cheryl held her through it all, helping to wash away the chill from her scarred body, and wrapping her in her warm embrace and silk sheets. 

Toni showed her the photos the next morning and they held each other the rest of the day, not bothering to answer their phones or even leave their bed. 

Cheryl hated to see her girlfriend so distraught over what she had encountered and the redhead hated that she suggested her precious TT venture out alone. The guilt ate at her like the experience ate at Toni. 

“We need to meet with them,” Toni mumbled into Cheryl’s chest, pecking the soft skin that was exposed by her nightgown. 

“I know,” Cheryl replied. “I’ll text Veronica.”

***

Veronica  _ smiled  _ at the approaching four. Her hand powerfully laced with Jughead’s. She held no nerves over the meeting. They were no doubt going to beg to be released from her grip and she would decline with a laugh. 

They met at Pop’s. The diner had long since closed, but Cheryl had asked Pop Tate for a favor and the kind man had agreed, giving the kids access to the diner for their private meeting. 

“Hello  _ friends,”  _ Veronica purred. “To what do we owe this pleasure?” 

Archie and Betty stared them down from behind as Cheryl and Toni walked right up to the table. A red envelope was slid across to the couple. 

“We want our privacy back in exchange for these to be  _ forgotten,”  _ Cheryl sneered.

Veronica lunged for the envelope, her face a stony expression. She slid the photos out and gave out a scream of frustration as she flipped through them. Jughead’s eyes widened as he peered over her shoulder and he immediately looked to Toni. They met eyes for a brief moment before he dropped his gaze to his lap. 

He couldn’t believe they had been friends once. 

Veronica snapped her head in Toni’s direction as well. “You… you fucking-”

Cheryl slammed her hands on the table, leaning in close to the raven haired girl, “Take the cameras out of our homes and burn the film, then  _ maybe _ these photos of what you have done will  _ never  _ see the light of day. Don’t comply and these go  _ viral  _ immediately.”

“Deal,” Jughead breathed out. 

_“No_ _deal._ Juggiekins you can’t let them _win!”_ Veronica cried out, grabbing her boyfriend's shoulder. “Not after what they’ve done to us and will continue doing. We will not be removing those cameras.” 

The foursome looked confused by Veronica’s hysteric ramblings, but Cheryl quickly recovered, aggression masking any other emotions the redhead may have been feeling.

She  _ hated  _ the girl sitting in the booth with a fiery passion. Her  _ lies _ only dumped gasoline on the murderous fire already started within Cheryl. 

“I will  _ ruin  _ you, Veronica,” Cheryl breathed. “I’ll even  _ kill  _ you if that’s what it takes to stop this.”

Jughead lurched forward to say something, but Archie stared him down, his hands balling into fists. The lanky boy quickly returned to his initial position, his eyes dropping down to his hands.

“You act like you’re so heroic, Bombshell. You’re no better than  _ me.  _ You never have been. You never will be,” Veronica chuckled.

Cheryl gritted her teeth, “I’ve always been better than you.”

“Cher, baby,” Toni murmured, trying to soothe her girlfriend. 

“You’ve harmed the people I  _ love  _ most. I’ll kill you, Veronica. I swear to God I’ll do it,” Cheryl replied. Her tone was calm, her stare cold and hard, despite the fire in her eyes and the numbness in her limbs.

_ To God.  _

“God-” Veronica spat, “has no control here.”

“But I  _ do.  _ I’ve always had control, I always will have control. You will obey because I am bigger than God. I could end this and  _ you  _ with a snap of my perfectly manicured fingers,” Cheryl replied.

Veronica’s eyes widened, a chilling realization filling her, “You wouldn’t do that to me… we’re friends.”

“ _ Friends?  _ We were never friends. I… will… kill… you.”

Veronica sat there for a moment, letting the threat sink in. “You’re a psycho, Bombshell.”

“For things that matter, yes.”

“Fine, I give in.”

***

They burned them. The tapes, the photos, the cameras. They all went up in a metal barrel the very next day. Veronica shook as Cheryl eyed her through the flames. 

The raven haired girl had finally given up the idea that she was the Universe. She had no power. Toni Topaz had ruined all control she had with a mere press of a button. 

Cheryl had threatened her and at first Veronica didn’t believe it, but the manic look in her eyes told  _ very  _ differently. Cheryl would have done it. Veronica knew that. Her arrogance almost cost her, her life like it had cost her father, his.

Veronica was done with making mistakes. 

They stayed away from each other the rest of the year. 

Jughead tried to keep his hold on Veronica. He  _ loved  _ her, but they broke up literal moments after the caps were thrown into the air at graduation.

Veronica ran away, like she always did when a scheme didn’t go right. She was much like her father in that way. She was attending Columbia in New York, happy to return to the drama and prestige of the Big Apple.

Betty and Archie stayed together. Both of them were headed off to the University of Vermont so they could be close to home. 

Cheryl and Toni also stayed together, unlike Jughead had thought. They flew cross country to UCLA, desperate to make a fresh start in the golden state of California. 

Jughead moped at home. His dreams of college were destroyed by the two words ‘ _ we’re over’.  _ He dropped out of Brown University before the quarter had even started. His dad was disappointed, but didn’t push him. Nothing in life would ever be as good as Veronica, not even the top writing program at Brown. Everything was over. Everything  _ hurt. _

***

Veronica changed in her New York apartment, she was going out on the town with her new best friends, a redhead named Charlotte and a blonde named Becky. She was  _ finally _ happy. She felt like her old self again. New York did her wonders.

Riverdale was in her past and she never wanted to return to it. She wanted to move on. Forget the bullshit and manipulation that had happened to her while she was there. 

She was the victim in all of this, but she wouldn’t let her past define her. 

That was the thing about the past though. It may be over and done with, but it would  _ always  _ be there.

Red lights flickered in the corner of her room, unknowingly to her. The image played on a laptop screen back in Riverdale. 

Jughead touched the screen, his fingers caressing her digital figure. A smile crept onto his face. He had her. He always would. 

“I’m still God, Ronnie,” he whispered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to say thank you so much for reading this.  
> this was a passion project, something i was terrified to put out into the universe. thriller writing is something i've always been into and is something i've always wanted to do.   
> thank you for giving it a chance, and for giving me the opportunity to create how i've always dreamed.   
> i truly believe that this is my best work yet.
> 
> hoping i can do more of this genre in the future.
> 
> thank you a million times over. you truly don't know how much the support means to me.
> 
> another massive thank you to dee, who showed me this prompt in the first place. i wouldn't be doing what i loved without you.
> 
> @kingdomtopaz on twitter :)


End file.
